Maximum Ride: Legends Rising
by Ruby Casablanca
Summary: Angel has been hiding something devastating from the Flock, so what will she do to the one person who finally exposes her for what she truly is? What will happen to the Flock then? And what will happen to Max when she finds out that she is destined for something much more destructive than saving the world? Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**MAX**

There were no words to describe how tired I was. Gazzy could come in and rip the world's largest gas bomb and I still wouldn't get up to leave the room, none the less the entire country. I was physically attached to this bed. Part of it, I assumed, was due to my constant downward spiraling depression that I blamed on that one stupid boy who ripped out my heart and left me here to die!

GOD! I couldn't believe that I was still hung up over Fang! I mean, it had been almost a year and I still hadn't heard a word from him since we last met in San Fran. To make it worse, he totally forgot my birthday while I was sitting at home all day fidgeting over what to do for his, which just happened to be the same day. A sixteenth birthday is supposed to be special, or so Emma keeps telling me. Even though she's over a month belated, she still wants to throw me a party. I told her that I would rather cut off my own wing than go to a party, but she just won't listen.

Anyway, after months of waiting, I finally came to the heart-breaking conclusion that Fang was never going to come back for me. He didn't want me anymore, or at least not as much as he wanted that new girl in his own so called "flock". Who is she anyway? I've known Fang way longer than that little boyfriend-snatcher has! I guess I shouldn't call Fang my boyfriend anymore; the letter he sent me after Total's wedding pretty much summed that up. As far as I knew, the next time I would see Fang was twenty years from now and he might as well have said never.

After I realized Fang was really gone for good this time, I couldn't bear with the pain. There has been an empty hole in my chest for weeks. The only way I can even stand to wake up is when someone forces me to eat or drink. Other than that, I have been left alone in my misery and to be honest, I like it that way.

I seriously thought about overdosing on the pain meds my mom sent me, hoping that I would slip into a painless existence but the pills, as I found out, were too big to swallow in masses. I tried cutting myself a few times after that, but it just made things worse since the smell of blood makes me go crazy. It reminds me of Ari. Even though I hated it, it at least made me feel something besides heartache. My cutting ended when Nudge caught me in the act and forced me to stop. Ever since then, she's been locking me in my room for what she says is for my 'own good'. I've only been out a few times since then, but I don't really care. I prefer my bed. I prefer my solitude.

I know that Nudge will come in any minute to tell me to eat something. She's been like clockwork, keeping me on a strict schedual of eating, sleeping, and drinking. She's been so strict that my body has already been re-programing itself to wake up about ten minutes before she comes in. That gives me time to mentally prepare for whatever overly-concerned speech she has prepared for me. I just let her words fly over my head as I constantly stare at the wall in front of me. As long as I don't make eye contact, she'll leave after her speech. It is so tedious and routinely, sympathetically sickening that it makes me want to commit suicide for real. No one understands that I just want to be left alone, everyone except Angel that is.

Angel. Even her name gives me chills now. Ever since she snapped at that party and shot Jeb, I have been cautiously anticipating her next mental break. Frankly, the child I once used to love has become an unstable psychopath. I hardly know her anymore. Ever since Fang left, she's been creepily nice to me, always giving me space and sneaking me treats and taking my side on things. Honestly, she's so two-faced that I don't know if I can trust anything she does anymore. For all I know, she could be poisining me.

On the opposite side of that spectrum, there's Dylan who refuses to leave my side at all whenever Nudge lets me out. I swear the two of them act as if I am going to fall apart at any moment, (which I might, but I would never tell anyone that). All they do all day is debate over what I should do, eat, wear, and go as if they were parents debating over a two year old. Once, I tried to escape my room to take a quick fly around the desert, but as I opened the front door, Dyaln tackled me and pinned me to the ground. He said that I wasn't allowed to leave until I got "better", whatever "better" means.

If Fang were here, he wouldn't let them get away with this. If Fang were here, he would bust through the door and rescue me. He'd sweep me up into his arms and fly away with me without a single word. We would go someplace far away where we could be together without worrying who was out to kill us. In my mind we would live happily ever after. In my mind...

**Dylan**

It was almost one o'clock. It was almost time to check on Max.

I was pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor as I waited for Nudge to return from the store. The only reason I didn't go and check on Max myself is that Nudge changed the doorknob to only open to her touch. That means that unless she opened the door, no one was going in and no one was getting out.

The whole doorknob thing changed after Nudge caught Max cutting herself. From what I was allowed to hear, it was pretty horrific. After that, we gave Max the only windowless room, removed all the furniture, and Nudge switched the knobs so Max couldn't leave again.

I really don't know why she would go as far as to hurt herself over this guy. I mean, he broke her heart and she hasn't even seen him in over a year! I was only with Fang for a few days and he didn't seem that great during the time I knew him. What did he have that I didn't? What did she see in him that I obviously lack? From what I knew of him all he did was brood and hide out in the shadows; hardly the type of person suited for someone as amazing and important as Max.

I was sure she was only confused. He was her first real love and he hurt her. Now, hopefully, after all that he and Nudge were doing for her, Max would finally let the past go and embrace her future with him. After all, he was designed to be her perfect fit, her other half.

I looked at the clock. 12:57. Three minutes to go.

I heard a rustling noise in the distance. It was steadily coming closer and closer until it was right on top of the house. I turned around and saw Nudge opening and then closing the front door. She had a few bags in her hands so I grabbed some and put them on the counter. I helped her empty the bags and we spent the next ten minites filing away boxes of cereal, warm water bottles, and fashion magazines. By then, it was 1:07. We were seven minutes late checking on Max and I was getting twitchy. Nudge could tell. She put down her last bag of chips and pointed at the door.

"You know," she said, "your entire life doesn't have to revolve around Max's screwed up one."

"I know, but I feel responsible for her. I feel like this is somehow my fault."

"Hey, it's not your fault that Max decided to cut her arms up. It's hers."

"I know...: I said again.

"If it were anyone else, I would just let them screw their lives up, but I can't do that to Max. She practically raised me!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean, besides the raising me part. You can't really be raised in a lab."

"Haha, yeah..." Nudge laughed.

"Yeah..."

I began to trail off. There was a long period of akward silence and I was getting uncomfortable. I couldn't help myself from staring at the clock every two seconds. It was now 1:15. It was nearly killing me not to ask Nudge about Max. I was going to go crazy.

"Dylan?" Nudge said.

"Yeah?"

"I think it's time we let Max go."

"What?" I said completely off guard. That was the last thing I expected to hear from Nudge.

"I mean, we've been babying her and locking her up for weeks now and it isn't helping. If anything, it's encouraging her to stay in bed all day and be depressed. If she wants to get over this, she's gonna have to do it on her own and by her own ways. Shutting her up in that room is not the solution."

"I...um...I..." I really didn't know how to respond to this. A week ago, Nudge was all for this and now she had completely turned the tables on me. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know really. I was just thinking about it on the fly back and it just hit me that Max wasn't going to get any better like this! She hates being confined! What she needs is fresh air, a good fly or walk around a busy town, and possibly a Flyboy attack to snap her back into reality."

"Yeah, that does sound a lot more like Max." I thought long and hard about this, "Maybe you're right..."

The more I thought about it, the more Nudge's plan made sense. Fighting Flyboys and navigating crowded places did sound more like a Max thing. If anything, it would let her get some fresh air in her lungs and help her resharpen her people skills by dodging all the sketchy city-slickers. This could really work.

"Okay," I agreed, "Let's go get Max."

Nudge beamed and skipped off towards Max's new room with me following shortly behind. As she got to the door, she placed her hand on the knob and closed her eyes to concentrate. A second later, the knob clicked and she twisted it.

As the door opened, we laid our eyes across a familiar sight: Max curled up in a fetal postion on her bed. She let the black blankets cover her entire body so all we could see was the top of her greasy blonde hair since she refused to get up and shower. She had her back turned to us and refused to turn around to aknowledge our presecnce.

Nudge turned on the lights, giving the drab, grey room some color and life. Max groaned and shifted her wieght around until she was curled up even tighter. Nudge was unphased by this and proceeded to sit on the foot of the bed.

"Hey Max." she said sweetly, "Time to get up!"

"Ugh..." Max groaned.

"Come on Max! We have a surprise for you!"

Max squirmed around a little until she finally decided to face us and I was shocked at what I saw. She did not look good at all. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was a disaster. Her skin looked sallow and yellow from the lack of sun and I could swear she was even thinner than the last time we were here.

"What?" she managed to get out.

"Come on!" Nudge encouraged, "Get up!"

Max did as told but very slowly. She reluctantly sat up and took as long as she could to get on her feet. When she was finally upright, Nudge grabbed her arm and dragged her out the room.

"Whoa!" Max yelled as she stumbled into the hallway.

"Sorry!" Nudge said.

"What are you trying to do? Kill me?" Max asked in a bitter tone.

"No, I am trying to do the exact opposite."

"Huh?" Max scratched her head in confusion.

"We, Dylan and I, have decided to let you go." Nudge explained, "We don't think that locking you up is in your best interest anymore."

"Really?" Max replied sarcastically, "When did you notice this? When my hair started falling out or when my bones became so weak you could snap them with a single touch?"

"Oh, come on Max! Stop being so dramatic!"

"Whatever..."

"Hey, go take a shower!" Nudge said, "Then we can show you your real surprise!"

"Oh...great..." Max grunted as she slouched down the hall to the bathroom. When she shut the door I turned my attention to Nudge. She looked massively relieved.

"Well," she sighed, "I think that went well!"

"Yeah, as well as it could anyway. At least she actually got in the shower."

"Haha! Yeah..."

"I wonder what she'll say to our plans?"

"She'll probably moan and groan and complain until we get her there and then she'll either love it or hate it." Nudge said, "Either way, it'll get her out of the house."

"Yeah, that's all that matters..." even though I said that, I was panicing on the inside. I feared for Max's mental wellbeing.

"Dylan," Nudge said, "It'll be okay. Trust me, it'll be good for her to get out."

"I know, it's just...hard." I admitted.

"I know."

Our conversation was cut short when Max opened the bathroom door. Thick steam poured out from the room clouding the floor in a sticky white fog. Max, however, was sparkling clean. Her hair had a healthy shine to it and her skin seemed to react well to the hot water, turning it a pinkish color. She looked a hundred times better than she did ten minutes ago. Unfortunately, she caught us both looking a glared at us, hugging herself tight.

"What are you guys looking at?"

"Uhhh...nothing..." I stammered.

"It's just that you look like a whole new person! Showers really do work miracles!" Nudge exclaimed.

"Oh haha..." Max snapped.

"Stop being such a downer and get dressed so we can show you your surprise!"

Max rolled her eyes and headed towards her real room, slamming the door behind her.

"Wow." I stated bluntly.

"Yeah." Nudge agreed, wide-eyed.

We stayed in a state of complete shock until Max reemerged from the room dressed in a basic white tee and blue jeans. Again, she glared at our staring.

"Why do you guys keep staring?" Max shouted.

"It's just...we just haven't seen you look like yourself in a long time." Nudge gasped.

"Yeah..." It was all I could manage to say.

"Well whatever..." Max pouted, "So what's this 'surprise'?"

"Oh! Right!" Nudge jumped, "Follow me!"

Nudge grabbed Max's arm and pulled her into the kitchen. Bright sunshine filled the entire room and Max had to shield her eyes.

"Shut the curtains!" Max demanded.

"Embrace the light Max!" Nudge shouted, "Can't you feel all the nutrients absorbing into your skin? Giving you energy?"

"Uhhhuhhh..." Max lied, "Hey, where is everyone?"

I looked around and noticed for the first time that no one else was here. Gazzy wasn't making bombs with Iggy and Angel wasn't prancing about bossing people around.

"I don't know..." I said, "Honestly, I didn't even notice."

"Well, I think Gazzy and Iggy were exploring the far range and Angel said she had an appointment to take care of, whatever that means." Nudge explained.

"With Angel, I never know anymore." Max sighed.

Nudge looked down at her feet, nervously playing with her shoelaces. I looked away and pretended not to hear her. Max didn't like being ignored though. She coughed obnoxiously loud and pretended to clear her throat. Nudge suddenly looked up looking just as happy and upbeat as she did a few seconds ago.

"Okay!" she said loudly, "Let's go!"

"Wait, what about my surprise?" Max asked.

"This is your surprise!" and with that, she grabbed Max's arm and pulled her out the window, spreading open her wings and taking flight. Max was struggling to keep hold of her arms. I followed closely behind.

"Where are you taking me?" Max demanded, "Where are we going!"

"I can't tell you Max! That's part of the surprise!"

Max was still yelling about how much Nudge was going to regret taking her out and that she would never forgive her. Nudge however, wasn't paying much attention to it and niether was I. In fact, I was smiling. This exercise was working so far, bringing back the old, loud Max we all knew and loved, and that was all that mattered to me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Angel**

God, I hate people. They never do what you tell them to do! I mean, how hard is it to bring the files in person? They didn't have to treat me like a child! Well, technically I am a child, but my maturity is well beyond most adults. I know more than any of the dim-wits sitting across from me and I definately know way more than the hired thugs standing behind me. Pathetic. They really think that these over wieght monkeys can control me? Please! I could have them all turned inside out and crying for their mommies in a single thought. No one can control me. Not any more.

Finally, I heard the faint hum of a motor. It grew louder and louder as it approched our place of business. Multiple black Hummers approached the meeting spot and parked themselves across the street, floods of suits pouring out the doors. They formed perfect lines and marched over to the quaint little cafe table I had been waiting at which, I now realized, would be way too small to seat them all. They were all so funny to look at; I couldn't stop snickering as they headed nearer, their constipated faces grimancing at me.

When they finally got to my table, the imbiciles that were sitting across from me got up and five out of the two dozen or so suits sat down facing me. Their suits, however, were very strange, each one a different color: red, blue, green, biege, and black. Seeing as though they were different from the rest, I guessed they were my contacts and I could only assume that the manilla folders in Mr. Black's hands was the file I needed. After a quick appearence evaluation (one of the only useful things Max had taught me) I forced an overly pleasant smile and shook each man's hand. They were each the same, oily and sweaty both in looks and shake.

"So, gentlemen, thank you for meeting me here on such short notice." I started.

"It's our pleasure," Mr. Red said.

"We live to please our clients." Mr. Blue added.

"Especially clients of the..." Mr. Green continued.

"Shh! Not here!" Mr. Biege hissed, "People could hear you!"

"Oh, yes, of course!" Mr. Green said, extremely flustered, "Forgive me Miss."

"It's alright, let's just move on." I nodded.

Mr. Green agreed nodded in understanding.

"Yes," I smiled, "Well, let's get on to business."

"Of course." Mr. Black said.

He pulled the files out from his briefcase and slid them across the table. I stopped them halfway across and flipped through each page, checking to make sure they were the original copies.

"Are those the files you asked for?" Mr. Black asked. His eyes were stone cold and sharp but a hint of sarcasm was present. I smiled coldly.

"Yes. I said acting disinterested, "Thank you for your efforts. These must've been _difficult _to obtain."

He snorted and smiled cynically. "Depends on your definition of difficult."

"Hmmph." I sighed. I think I liked this one. "My employer will be pleased to hear that you delivered on time."

"Well, you can tell your _employer_ that he's welcome." he said sarcastically.

"I will." I responded cooly

He nodded at me and turned his head towards the others who seemed to be having a conversation about nothing. I rolled my eyes and I swore I could see Mr. Black laughing off to the side. I shook my head and re-averted my focus to the men across from me.

"Pay close attention gentlemen, I'm only going to say this once." I said firmly.

They all turned their heads to me again and payed close attention. I had to admit, it felt good to be in charge.

"My employers want one more thing from you fine gentlemen. After all, it's hard to come by those that possess your certain level of..._expertice._"

"What's the job this time Miss?" Mr. Blue asked

"We need you to perform a special task, one that may strike your fancy."

"Ah," Mr. Red grinned, "I'm starting to like this one."

"I assure you, you will" I smiled back.

"Are you going to tell us the assignment or just bat those pretty little lashes at us all day?" Mr. Black asked sharply. I snapped my head towards him and glared menacingly. He was losing my favor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd mind taking orders from me." I smiled wickedly, "I guess I'll spend my millions elsewhere."

He looked at me for a long while before cracking up, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"You are the most twisted six year old I have ever met." he said, wiping his eyes

"I take that as a compliment." I snapped back.

"Ahem." Mr. Biege coughed, "If we could get back to the assignment? We have another meeting in an hour."

"Of course, I understand. You are all wanted men"

I turned away from Mr. Black and pulled a portfolio out of my backpack. It slid smoothly across the table and landed right into Mr. Green's hands. He picked it up and opened the seal very carefully, gently pulling out its contents one by one. After a few moments and all the men had a chance to see the papers, the suits looked up. They were all grinning.

"So," I asked, "What do you think?"

"I think, Miss, that you and your employers have yourselves a deal." Mr. Blue said, his face contorted in an evil smile.

"That," I responded with enthusiasm, "is exactly what I wanted to hear."

**Max**

Okay, so, when someone pulls you by the arm against your will and then jumps out a window with you, the last thing you expect is to be taken on a gigantic shopping spree including ice cream, roller skating, and a museum tour. It gets even more bizzare when that someone also wanted to take you on every roller coaster at Six Flags. I honestly thought Nudge had gone insane at that point. Instead, I talked her into a quiet picnic in the mountains. We were bird kids in the middle of the Rockys after all. This whole day just seemed too perfect, like I knew something had to go wrong sometime just like every other good thing in my life. I tried not to focus on that, but it just kept eating away at the back of my mind.

I looked over at Nudge. She looked so happy staring at the sunset. It looked like a rainbow of pink and orange tonight. My mom used to say that the sunset was a bunch of angry, blind gods painting the sky just for the hell of it. My version said that there was a war going on somewhere and the blood had shed high enough to taint the sky, warning everyone else of the horrors. My mom was a much better story teller than I was. It used to cheer me up to hear her speak.

My gaze wandered to Dylan whose eyes immediatly dropped when he saw looking back at him, trying to disguise the fact that he was looking at me in the first place. I let out a tiny laugh and Dylan started to blush. For some reason, I made that kid so nervous and I started to take pleasure in making him uncomfortable. It sounds mean but it seemed as if everything I do made him blush or quickly look away. I might as well find a way to make it less awkward for me while he learns to grow up a bit. I can't blame him though, after all, he's only about a year and a half old scientifically speaking. He only looks like a sixteen year old boy because he was genetically manipulated to have an accelerated life, which meant that he went from two to twelve in like, a matter of weeks. I really felt bad for him at times, but other times I could shoot him. He was way too clingy and devoted to me. I mean, he was created to be my other half, but he doesn't litterally have to cling to me 24/7! What was I going to do with him?...

"Ohhh...so full!" Nudge shouted, breaking my train of thought. She rubbed her belly back and forth before letting out a huge and extremely un-lady-like belch.

"Nice one Nudge," I laughed.

"Haha!" She laughed as well.

We were all so happy just sitting on the ridge, doing nothing, just like old times.

"Oh crap!" Nudge shouted. Here we go. The bad has begun.

"What is it Nudge?" Dylan asked.

"I left my walet back at that cafe downtown!" she yelled, "That had all my money it!"

"Don't worry, I'll get it." I said.

"Thanks Max" Nudge smiled at me.

"No problem."

"I'm going with you." Dylan immediately got up and brushed off his jeans.

"No way. I'm not a two year old." I argued.

"I know, I want to go."

"You can't leave Nudge here all by herself. Besides, it doesn't take two people to get a walet."

There was a moment of silent tension before Nudge spoke up.

"It's okay Dylan." Nudge assured, "It's okay."

Slowly but surely he stepped down and sat next to Nudge. I nodded to her in thanks.

"I'll be back in a few!" I shouted as I jumped off the cliff side.

The wind in my wings felt exhilerating, it felt so good to go solo flying again. I missed the wind on my cheeks and the sun on my skin. I sped up to my max speed before going super sonic, a feeling that never failed to send shivers down my spine. I hadn't felt this good since...well...Fang.

Damn! Why'd I have to bring him up, he always ruins my good moods! God, how I wanted to punch him! I tried my best and pushed him out of my head.

The city came up fast. I could hear the cars rushing by and could smell the sweet scent of engine fuel before I even saw the first sky scraper. I used my hawk-like vision and picked out the tiny street-side cafe we had sat at earlier. I decided to land a few blocks down from it so I wouldn't draw any attention.

The landing came easy, my sneakers hitting the ground with surprising grace and soon I was up on my feet, breaking out into a brisk walk across the Las Vegas streets. The thing I loved about this town was that no one was normal so it didn't take much to blend in. Also, the cops around here were usually looking for prostitutes or card counters, not for mutant bird children. I had never felt more alive than I did here.

I came up to the cafe in a matter of minutes but stopped dead in my tracks the moment I saw it. All I could do was run around the block behind some shipping crates and catch my breath. There were no words to describe both my horror and confusion. Never in my entire life did I expect to see something like this.

All I saw was Angel, my Angel, exchanging briefcases with various men in colored suits and menacing thugs standing beside them. From the looks of it, I figured I wasn't supposed to see anything but she saw me, and the last thing I saw were her big blue eyes piercing my brown ones and her tiny lips curling into one evil smile.

**Angel**

The meeting was finally over and I had never been so happy in my entire life. When I passed over my case with the millions in it, Mr. Biege handed over the codes I needed to activate the files. We sealed the deal with a final, disgusting handshake and they all filed back into their cars, one grey suit at a time, all of them except for Mr. Black.

"Do you have anything left to say?" I asked him.

"No, I just have a question."

"Well...?" I waited.

"Why join so young? You can't be more than six?"

I thought about it for a second before giving the default reason I always used. "I guess I found my calling early on."

"Really?" he asked skeptically. He knew I was hiding something.

"I was told that if you have the power, use it and if you don't, get it." I said, "Either way, I win."

"Yes, you do."

"Is that all, Mr. Black?"

He looked at me, first confused and then surprisingly amused. "Yes, Miss White. I look forward to working with you again."

I pondered his response and decided that I did like him again. "As do I. Until next time..."

He nodded and entered the car with his other suits. I watched the Hummer squeal away, leaving tire burns on the pavement, and leaving me all alone with nothing left to do. What does one do in Las Vegas before midnight?

I looked around, trying to figure out something when my eye caught a distant, yet familiar shape. It was tall, blonde, and surprisingly clean. It had wide brown eyes that immediatly locked onto my blue ones and I had a feeling that she had seen the interaction.

I leaned to get up but, suddenly, a bus passed and when it left, the girl was no where to be seen but it didn't matter. She had already given herself away.

"Caught you Max." I said to myself, smiling from ear to ear, "Caught you..."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Max**

When I was finally able to breath again, I got up and carefully peared over the giant crates I had hid behind. As far as I could see, Angel and all of the men had left the cafe.

Slowly, I stood upright and walked over to the cafe, disoriented and dizzy. I clutched onto the sides of the tables until I got to the one where Angel had been before. I looked around for clues or something to see what she had been up to, but there was nothing left of their little rendez-vous. Whoever she was meeting, knew what they were doing.

I pounded my fist on the table in frustration and moved away from that table to the one Nudge, Dylan, and I had shared earlier. Nudge's walet was right where she had said it was, under the second chair. I picked up the pink leather and left as fast as I could. Suddenly, I didn't feel like sticking around anymore.

The flight back to the peak seemed a lot shorter than the flight down. I barely got a chance to enjoy the sunset or the warm winds. The sun may set early in the winter, but in California, it never got any cooler than sixty degrees. The mountains zipped by like bullets as I kicked it up to max speed to make up for lost time. Nudge and Dylan were probably worried sick about me and probably called in the entire flock for a search party. God, I sure hoped not.

I got there in a matter of minutes, softly descending on a flat below them to gather myself before they jumped on me. I climbed up a few steps and saw them sitting exactly where I had left them. This was very strange. I expected them to be running around going crazy instead of calmly sitting and staring out at the horizon. I took a few more louder steps and still, no response.

"Um, guys?..." I asked tenitively, "I'm back."

"Oh," Dylan turned around slightly and nodded in my direction, "Hey."

"Um, hey?"

I was seriously confused now. I was all ready for Dylan to jump up, break his fake cool, and tackle me to the ground in a suffocating hug, not for him to shrug me off.

"You guys okay?"

"Uh-huh," Nudge said, "Did you find my walet?"

"Yeah. Here." I replied as I handed her the walet. She took it and smiled up at me.

"Thanks Max!" she exclaimed. She got up and gave me a huge hug.

"No problem."

"Hmmm...well...I am beat!" Nudge said as she stretched upward, "Let's go home and watch a movie!"

"Alright." Dylan agreed, "Sounds fun."

"Sure." I agreed as well.

We jumped off the cliff and into the evening air once more. It was on the way back that I truely realized how far Nudge had taken me. We were miles and miles away from the house.

We all flew in silence, counting the seconds until, and hour and seventeen minutes later, we returned home. The lights were all off and the window had been shut since we left. I wondered if Gazzy and Iggy were back yet. How would they react to seeing me? That was something I couldn't think about. I honestly didn't want to know if they hated me or not.

We landed on the back deck and Nudge used her metal powers to open the window from the outside. Its doors swung open at us and smacked Dylan right in the face. Nudge and I tried to keep it in but we fell on the floor, rolling in laughter. Dylan looked straight faced and frowned at us when we got up.

"Sorry." we both mouthed.

We tried not to make too much noise so we didn't wake up the boys, if they were even asleep. Still, it was good to be quiet. We didn't need Gazzy to blow us up any time soon either.

We all filed in the window one by one. Dylan was the last and shut the windows super slow so they didn't creak. I turned around, not looking, and accidentally ran into Iggy and his newest contraption. I tumbled over it and fell on my side hard. I looked down and saw that the edge of his metal project had cut my leg, leaving a painful gash behind. I touched it and cringed in pain.

"Oww! God damn it!..." I cursed through my teeth.

"I'm so sorry...Max?" Iggy apologized. He probably would've felt worse if he hadn't been so shocked to 'see' me. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." I winced, "It's me."

"What are you doing out of your room?" he asked concernedly.

"Oh, you know, Nudge decided to 'kidnap' me and take me to Vegas for the day." I said sarcastically.

"Sounds fun..." He said, "Here, let me help."

As he was wrapping my leg up with some spare cloth, Gazzy came running in the kitchen looking like a mad man. His hair was on end and slightly burned around the edges. He had smoke comming off him and some unidentifiable blue goo all over his clothes. Now that I paid more attention, I noticed that Iggy did too.

"What are you doing in there?" I asked as I pointed down the hall where a room was glowing green like it was radioactive.

"Nothing..." Iggy looked down at the floor as he finished wrapping up my leg. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me to my feet. It hurt a little to stand at first, but I would get used to it.

"Thanks."

Iggy shrugged his shoulders and went back to his metal contraption, checking to see if my fall had caused any damage.

"What is that thing?"

"Isn't it great Max?" Gazzy asked with exitment. My presence didn't really seem to phase him that much which I took as a good thing. I looked back over at the metal thing one more time before answering.

"It sure is Gazzy." I replied, "but, what is it?"

"It's only the greatest invention ever!" He beamed, "I give you Frankenbot!"

"Franken-what-now?" Nudge asked. She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, staring the boys down.

"Watch Max!" he grabbed my arm and moved me to the table where he had placed his control panel. He pressed a few buttons and the hunk of metal began to move.

"It's alive!" Gazzy screamed like a mad scientist. I looked down at him, honestly a little bit afraid of what was going to come out of that thing.

The metal shifted and shook and grew apart until it was a ten-foot-tall metal monster with glowing red eyes and exposed circutry.

"He's not finished yet, still have to work out a few bugs in the programming but, I must say he is my finest piece of work yet!"

"_Our_ work." Iggy corrected.

"Yeah, sorry." He said as he waved Iggy off. Gazzy messed around with the knobs, getting it to move around and pick things up.

"I'm still teaching him the basic movements but once he has those down in his hard drive, I can teach him the real stuff." Gazzy continued.

"Teach what real stuff?" Nudge demanded.

"Fighting! Duh! I created this thing to kick scientist butt!," Gazzy explained with emphasis, "Once the School sees this bad boy, they'll go running home to their mommies!"

"Uh-huh...right..." I shook my head slowly, "Good luck Gasman."

"I'll show you guys!" he shouted loudly. He pushed a button and the Frankenbot collapsed. "Come on Iggy! We have work to do!"

Iggy rolled his eyes and pushed the Frankenbot out of the kitchen and back into the glowing room. When the door finally shut, Dylan bursted out laughing. He laughed so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes. All Nudge and I did was sit back and stare at him while glancing back and forth at each other wondering when he was going to stop laughing like a mad man. After several minutes, he still hadn't stopped and I was getting bored and slightly disturbed.

"Hey, I'm gonna go put some Neosporin on this." I said. "God knows I don't need somethig else wrong with me."

"Huh? Oh,...yeah..." Nudge sighed, still watching Dylan roll. "Cancel that movie. I'm gonna go to bed."

She slouched past me and grabbed her walet off the table.

"Night." I said down the hall after her.

She waved her hand in response and then shut the door. A moment later her lights went out leaving me alone with the crazy guy on the floor. I waited for a few more minutess but he still hadn't stopped. He was seriously freaking me out now. Maybe Gazzy secretly put something in his system. He did that to Fang once and never did it again after that. I don't know what Fang did, but it worked.

I sighed and turned down the hall, fumbling to find the bathroom doorknob. I opened the door and immediately ran into a cabinet, hitting my face dead center and leaving a big red splotch on my forehead.

"Just great..." I thought, "Now, where's the Neosporin?"

**Dylan**

As soon as Max shut the bathroom door, I shot up off the ground and brushed myself off. Someone really needed to do some dusting around here. My throat was hoarse from all the laughing but I couldn't think of any other way to get them to leave.

I walked over to the refrigerator and took out a large bottle of cold water and chugged the whole thing in one gulp. That felt much better.

I scrunched up the bottle in one hand and turned to throw it away, meeting a pair of menacing ice blue eyes on the other side. She made me jump so high that my head hit the cabinets. I rubbed my head on the way down, feeling a large bump growing under my skin.

"Jesus Christ! Why do you scare me like that?" I yelled at her.

"Keep your voice down!" she whispered and then batted her thick eyelashes innocently. "I needed to get your attention somehow."

"Well, a nice shoulder tap or poke would suffice!" I hissed. "If I get brain damage from this, I swear..."

"Oh calm down and stop being such a wuss. We have real problems to worry about." Angel snapped back.

"Like?..."

"Like the fact that Max saw part of the transaction this afternoon!"

"Oh shit..." I cursed.

"Yeah! She saw the exchange and who knows what else?"

"Did she stop you? Did she get the codes?" I said, paniced.

"No, she didn't intervene. I was able to successfully relay the codes to our employers and the files are all ours and I must say, those files are..._interesting._"

I nodded. "Now, what's our assignment this time?"

"I don't know. I haven't read the debriefing porfolio all the way through yet."

"Well, let's see it then."

Angel grabbed her backpack from under the table and pulled out a cream colored folder. It was plain and in mint condition just like every other one we recieved. I reached to grab the folder but Angel snatched up my hands and put her free hand to her lips. I slowly moved my hands back and she slid the folder down and placed it on the adjacent chair. She got up and moved aross the room and into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of milk. She glanced towards the hallway and I swiftly joined her in the kitchen, making myself a bowl of cereal.

A few moments later Max came out of the hall and into the kitchen and, then things got interesting.

**Max**

The first thing I saw as I entered the kitchen was Dyaln pouring himself a bowl of Apple Jacks. This would be normal if one, he actually ate Apple Jacks and two, if he actually used silverware or china when he ate. Seeing as though he did none of those things, I was a little suspicious. As I turned around, my suspicious feelings were confirmed when I saw Angel sitting at the table drinking milk. She hated milk. Things were definately off.

I stood there for a few moments staring at Angel before I moved towards the cupboards. I took down a bowl and pourned myself some Apple Jacks as well so I wouldn't look out of place. I sat down at the table directly across from Angel, watching her to make sure she wouldn't do anything.

"Max, are you okay?" Dylan asked softly.

"Huh?" I said, startled by the question. "Oh, yeah, I'm good."

"Are you sure? You look a little pale." he asked again.

"Yeah. It's probably just this cut. Stupid Gazzy and his metal monster..." I grumbled to myself.

"What happened to your leg Max?" Angel asked uber-sweetly, flashing me a blinding white smile. I studied her carefully before responding.

"You weren't here when it happened Angel? I thought you would've heard with all the noise."

Angel looked a little phased but not much. She readjusted her innocent face in a matter of seconds.

"No, I was out shopping." she smiled widely again.

"Yeah, the city sure is a cool place isn't it?" I said with an edge to my voice. "Good place for meeting new people too. Make any new friends Angel?"

I watched Angel's face drop drastically this time but she still picked it back up.

"I don't know what your talking about Max. I never said I went to the city." she said sweetly.

"Oh, well, I just assumed...anyway, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here, you're safe, and you had fun." I stared her down. "Did you have fun Angel?"

"Yes." she said hesitantly.

"Well, that's good."

I grabbed my cereal bown and put it in the sink. I headed out towards the hallway but before I left, I decided it was best to end on a good, non-suspicious note.

"Goodnight." I said sweetly, "Don't let the bed-bugs bite..."

I walked swiftly down the hallway and entered my room, my _real_ room that I had missed so much. It even smelled the same as I had left it months ago! I flopped back down on my bed, staring at my glow-in-the-dark stars, and gave some serious thought to what I had just gotten myself into and how I really should've just stayed out of it.

This was not going to end well.

Screw my life.

**Dylan**

We both let out a sigh of relief when the door finally shut. Angel started rubbing her jaw, contorting her face into various shapes and expressions.

"I swear if I ever have to smile or sweet-talk to anyone again, I am going to kill someone." Angel fumed. She looked down at the glass and knocked it off the table in rage. "I hate milk!"

"Calm down. It's over now." I told her.

She looked at me wild-eyed for a minute and then calmly sat back down. She pulled out the files and the folder once more and laid them across the table so that we could see all of them. We sat in silence for a moment just staring at the table.

"Max knows too much." I said.

"I know" Angel replied plainly.

"She's a liability."

"I know."

"Angel, if she tells anyone what she's seen, we'll be dead in the water! Everyone will be after us!"

"I know." she turned to me, her face now both serious and evil. "So what are we going to do about it?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Max**

For the first time in a long time, I woke up and felt okay. Not terrible, not great, just okay. I couldn't really feel great because of my growing suspicions about Angel but I couldn't feel terrible either because I had finally gained back most of my previous freedoms. Life was starting to look up for me, and even though it wasn't perfect, I'd take the best I could get.

I looked over at the clock; it said 9:00 a.m. blinking in red, neon lights. This was the earliest I had woken up in a year and it was definately cause to celebrate.

I ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. I had never really been a good cook but I thought that making breakfast for the whole family would be a good idea. After all, how hard could making Bisquick pancakes be? All you really had to do was fill, shake, and pour.

After my first few pancakes, I had the routine down. You pour out a little bit into a cup, pour it on the pan, and let in cook for about five minutes. The only problem was flipping them. They always seemed to fall apart whenever I flipped them over.

Although I was doing a pretty good job, the pancakes needed a little something more. Chocolate chips!

I ran over to the pantry, stole Gazzy's stash of Hershey kisses, and started to throw them into the pancake mix. The kids were gonna love me!

Twenty minutes later, I had the table set and a huge stack of three dozen pancakes in the center. I poured everyone except Angel a glass of milk and put out a couple bottles of syrup. This was going to be the best Sunday breakfast ever!

**Angel**

The smell of syrup and pancakes filled my nose, making my mouth water. I slowly woke up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I got up and out of bed. I neatly made my bed and straightened all my stuffed animals as I did every morning and made my way towards my mirror. I ran a brush through my snarled curls and composed my self as I walked out and into the hallway, following the sweet smell into the kitchen where Max was there awaiting my arrival.

"There you are Angel! I thought you would never get up!" Max laughed. She was acting way too nice to me.

"What going on in here?" I asked as my eyes wandered to the table.

Everyone was there scarfing down the steaming plate of pancakes that sat in the middle of them. There was syrup and chocolate all over their sticky faces and everyone was smiling. She had never seen them all so happy before.

"We're having a family breakfast! I made the pancakes myself." Max beamed at me. Okay, Max _cooking_? Something was definately off."

"You did a great job Max!" Nudge said over a mouthful of food.

"Yeah!" Iggy chimed in, "Who knew you could actually cook something edible?"

Max rolled her eyes and threw a wadded up napkin at him. "Shut up Ig!"

He snickered at her and went back to stuffing his face. Max moved over and sat down across from him.

"Take a seat Angel." Max said as she patted a chair next to hers, "Come on."

I walked over slowly and got up on the chair, studing Max the entire time. She didn't even look at me. Strange...

I took a plate, grabbed two pancakes, and smothered them in syrup. I watched the brown, crystaline goo flow from the bottle and drown every inch of the yellow, circular surface. I watched the pancake's pores open up and absorb the brown goo until none was left on top. Only then did I eat them, since they always tasted the best when the syrup was on the inside. That way, she wasted no drop of the sweet, sugary syrup.

"So, I was thinking, that after breakfast we could all go exploring." Max said over the table. Everyone looked up excitedly.

"Really?" Gazzy jumped up and down in his seat happily.

"That sounds fun!" Nudge agreed.

"Sure." Iggy nodded.

"I'm up for it." Dylan smiled at Max. I honestly thought I was going to puke.

"What about you Angel?" Max asked. I looked around and saw five pairs of eyes staring at me, waiting for my answer.

Then, an idea hit me. It was like an epiphany, a way to solve all my problems forever. It was so sneaky, so evil, and so **perfect**, that I couldn't pass up the chance. I was going to have to tell Dyaln about this later.

I pretended to think about it for a few more moments before smiling and giving my final answer.

"Sure." I said finally, a grin creeping up my face. "Why not?"

**Max**

A few minutes later we were hiking up the mountain sides, exploring caves, and jumping in the rivers down below. It had taken us a few minutes to pack out stuff, and Angel took a while filling up our canteens, but we were ready to go in no time. It's not like we had anywhere to go or somewhere to be. We gave the responsibilities of saving the world to Fang and when he left. It was his job now to be the crazy, stressed one.

You know, I thought, this had the makings of a great day! I had never been so carefree in my entire life! Even when I was with my mom I was never this relaxed. It was a strange, but not an unwanted feeling.

I looked out over the canyons and saw my kids flying and diving around each other. I could pick out Iggy and Gazzy collecting scraps of rock and wood over to my side, probably to build some sort of organic bomb or something. I didn't care though. We were just on the mountains. They weren't going to hurt anybody.

I walked across the cliffside and into a nearby cavern. It was strangely warm inside but the walls were wet and cool. I sat down on the red ground and took a drink from my canteen. The water was cold and refreshing, a positive change from the brutally hot sun. It was high in the sky now, and this cave should keep my skin and my eyes a lot safer.

I sat for a while and stared out for the longest time. As the sun got higher, I got sleepier and I soon found it hard to keep my head up. I didn't know why I was so tired. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't been outside in long periods of time in nearly a year, except for yesterday.

After a while, I just let my self nod off, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

I dreamt of flying, flying high above the rest of the world. I was touching the stratosphere with my fingertips as I glided over the world. From high above I could see my family looking up at me, smiling at me with wide grins on their faces.

Then, my dream suddenly shifted, and I was running through a black cave. I felt very short and off balance as if I were a toddler and was frequently tripping over myself. I looked around at the walls. They were decorated with sparkling black stone and gruesome arrangements of human skulls. The place gave me shivers, and not because of the skeletons hanging everywhere. I _knew_ this place. It felt so familiar, as if I'd known it all my life.

I heard a shattering noise from behind me and immediately shot up from the cave floor, interupting my dreams. When I woke up, the sun was on its way down. The sky was slowly turning an orange color, and my mind automatically jumped to the kids. I jumped up and started out the cave.

_Where were they?_

_Are they okay?_

_Did they go home or are they lost somewher in the desert?_

All these questions were racing inside my mind. I was absolutely worried out of my mind, adrenaline was coursing through my viens. My worst nightmares were coming true.

I obviously must've been pretty oblivious because I was completely unaware of Angel's presence until she loudly cleared her throat. The sound startled me, and I jumped about five feet in the air. When I was finally able to see straight again, I saw that her face was dangerously serious and not at all friendly.

"Oh my God Angel!" I gasped, "Where is everyone? I didnt mean to fall asleep!"

"They're all fine. They're all safe." she said as she pretended to study her nails, "Which is more than what I can say for you."

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. That had sounded seriously demented. I was starting to get chills, and I didn't think it was because of the walls.

"Well, falling asleep in the mountains isn't very safe Max." Angel responded calmly, "You never know who you might find lurking around..."

"Like I said, I didn't do it on purpose. I just fell asleep." I explained.

"I know."

"Then what's with the whole demented, creepy-child act?" I demanded, "You're freaking me out."

"I haven't even tapped the surface of creepy yet Max, and if you think this is scary, then you're in for one horrific ride."

She smiled up at me evily, her eyes shining in the darkened cavern. I was so wierded out by her that I didn't even hear the person come up from behind me and knock me upside the head. I felt myself fall, but lost conciousness before I could feel the crash.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Max**

When I finally regained conciousness, I found myself in a very bad situation. My hands were tied behind my back, which I wouldn't mind if my arms weren't also tied to my side. Me feet were bound together and I had been thrown into the circular cavern end. But, that wasn't even the bad part. All around me were thousands of explosives of all kinds. There were sticks of dynamite, home-made bombs, and even some barrels of C-4. This was not good. What was even worse was that I had no idea how I got here in the first place.

I started struggling with my ropes, trying to wiggle my way out of them. I started screaming, hoping that someone would hear me, and they did. I heard footsteps coming towards me from the cave enterance. _Phew,_ I thought, _I'm saved!_

"Hey!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, "In here! I"m in here!"

The steps got louder until I could see a silhouette of a man standing in the cavern enterance. The cavern was actually more of a basin, so the man was standing above me. He didn't move any farther than the enterance so that I couldn't see his face. This was extremely frustrating.

"Hey!" I snapped at him. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

He shifted his wieight and moved into the light and my mouth dropped. Dylan was standing there, smirking at me and shaking his head. He actually started chuckling under his breath, mocking my situation.

"Stop laughing at me you jerk!" I shouted, anger filling my voice. "Help me!"

"I'm sorry Max, I can't do that." Dyaln replied in a sickeningly creepy-nice voice.

"And why not?" I asked angrily.

"Because, you, unfortunately, are a liability." He explained calmly, "And we can't afford any liabilities."

"We?" I asked. He was really getting on my nerves.

"Yes," came a voice from behind him, "We."

The second figure turned the corner and stepped into the light and all of my memories from today came flooding back to me as I locked eyes with Angel. She was standing right next to Dylan, wearing an identical smirk on her angelic face. Seeing her gave me chills along with the notion that I wasn't just here on accident. She must've been planning something for a while.

"Angel?" I asked, almost dumbfounded. "What are you...why are you...?"

"Aww," Angel mocked. "Cat got your tounge?"

I shot Angel the scariest look ever, one that I'm pretty sure would make most people want to die, but Angel was ordinary person. All she did as stand there with an amused look on her face. My face was blushing in anger.

"Oh, look Dylan. She's mad." Angel said in a baby voice, "Is the wittle baby angwy?"

Dylan started cracking up, his laugh filling the entire area and echoing off the walls.

"Quiet you fool!" Angel snapped at him, "We don"t want to draw any unnessicary attention!"

He lowered his head and cleared his throat. "Sorry." he mumbled to the ground.

Angel rolled her eyes, obviously impatient.

"Anyway..." she continued, "Back to business."

She turned away from Dylan and refocused her attention on me. Her blue eyes pierced through mine and tried to make their way down into my mind. I had learned ways to block her out over my depression and now used all my strength to push her out of my head. She frowned at me and looked away.

"You are becoming a nuiscance to me, Maximum Ride." she hissed. This caught me off guard. She had never used my full name before.

"Sorry for my inconvenience." I replied sarcastically.

She shot me a nasty look, her eyes filled with malice. "Oh, you will be." she warned. "Because, if we can't use you, then there's no use in keeping you alive."

"I guess we do have a reason to use these now." Dylan said snydely as he lifted his head in the direction of the various cocktail of explosives they had piled in the basin with me.

"Yes, I suppose we do." Angel agreed.

They both turned around and left the enterance, leaving me alone momentarily before I felt the earth shake and an avalanche of rocks poured in, cutting off the enterance from the rest of the cave. As the smoke cleared, I saw that the two had returned and there was just enough space between the rocks that I could see their faces/

"What are you doing!" I shrieked. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with us Max." Angel said sweetly. "We're just ridding ourselves of a problem is all."

"WHAT!"

"You see, I was never really one of you. One of the flock that is." Angel responded cooly, "I was assigned to your 'flock' as an observer. My job was to see if you had progressed enough to do the job you were created to do."

She obviously caught wind of my confused expression because she started laughing. It wasn't an evil laugh or a happy laugh but more of a derranged chuckle.

"I was never your friend Max!" she shouted to the heavens. "I am an agent for the School! My job was to observe and report you at every turn. You may have thought you had outrun them but they were always with you, always watching."

"I don't understand..." I said dejectedly. I honestly thought I might cry, but, to be honest, I had always known she was capable of something like this.

"No," She spat, "you wouldn't. None of you would."

"So, who are you, really?" I asked.

"I am Angel, Agent 7 of the School Defense Program and now my job is to terminte the assignment I failed to complete."

"What do you mean the assignment you failed?"

"Well, my assignment wasn't just to watch you." she stated pointedly. "Did you ever wonder why the Erasers or the Flyboys always knew exactly where we were? Why the School could always find us?"

I slowly nodded my head while mind started to put the pieces together. Suddenly it all made sense.

"Yes Max," Angel nodded. "I was the one who was tipping off the School about our locations, purposely running us into Flyboy and Erasers hoping that it would make you stronger. As long as you survived and got tougher, the mission was considerd a success."

"So you didn't care what could've happened to Iggy, or Nudge, or Gazzy, your own brother?"

"They were never really major players. They were never in the big picture, not even the little picture. You were the only one we ever cared about. Everyone else was...expendable." As she finished, her face pulled up into an evil grin.

"And why did I need to be the strong one?"

"We couldn't have a weakling perform the enormous task we had laid into motion."

"And that task is?" I asked impatiently.

"It doesn't matter. Not anymore. Besides, I now see that wouldn't have had it in you to do the job anyway. You're too soft, even with all your skills."

I looked over to Dylan, who was staring at the at the opposite wall.

"How do you fit into this sick mess?" I asked him, malice growing in my voice.

He was about to open his mouth before Angel cut him off. "I can explain that."

I looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You and Fang were becoming too close, and he was becoming a major distraction so I called Dr. Hans and asked for a little...assistance. He created Dylan to drive a wedge between your little relationship, and hopefully terminating it, which he did so well."

Angel turned her head towards Dylan and beamed proudly at him. He smiled in return.

"You and Fang both fell right into the bull shit about Dylan being made to be your perfect match, successfully tearing you two apart. However, it wasn't enough to fully separate you two so I lured him into a trap, which, if it came off as planned, would've permanently terminated the problem."

"You were going to kill Fang?" I gasped, horrified.

"You say that as if you don't think I would do it." Angel replied sweetly. "On the contrary, I was perfectly fine with killing that annoying emo child. I even had the perfect cover story planned as well."

I just sat there, mouth wide open, waiting for her to continue her sick story.

"That little 'vision' I had of Fang's death was completely fake. I was going to kill him and pin it on some unlucky scientist, saying that my vision was true and no one would suspect a thing." She finished. "After all, who could blame sweet _innocent _little Angel?"

"So that's it then?" I wheezed, my throat dry. "That's who you really are? Some sick, demented little experiment sent to ruin my life?"

"Not an experiment!" she shrieked as if I had just called her some terrible or unspeakable name. "A success! A perfect success."

"You just said you failed!" I yelled back as best I could. "You said you failed on your mission!"

"That may be true, but that's their problem, not mine." She waved her hand away.

"Angel." Dylan finally spoke. "Stop stalling. We have to go."

"Fine, fine." she replied, utterly bored. "We were finished anyway."

Dylan turned around and walked out of the cave, his shadow slowly disappearing. Angel turned around to follow him out, giving me a smirk as she went. She came back a few seconds later to say just one last thing.

"Goodbye Max." she said. "I'm sorry it had to end this way."

"No your not." I hissed back.

She shrugged her shoulders and skipped off. "Bon voyage!" I heard her yell back to me before hearing the familiar sound of her wings spreading open and a powerful gust of wind.

**Angel**

"What was all that for?" Dylan yelled at me.

"Never mind that!" I yelled back. "Do you have the trigger?"

He pulled a tiny device out of his pocket, a red button lighting up the top of the metal box.

"Gazzy showed me how to use one last week." Dylan added.

"Good." I tried to hide the excitement in my voice. "Fire when ready."

Dylan smirked and pushed his thumb down on the red button.

**Max**

All of the timers on the bombs started counting down, all ticking in different rhythms, but all playing the same deathly tune. I threw my self against each of the walls, hoping that one would collapse and I could escape instead of being blown to bits. I was sweating profusely and my body started aching from all of the bashings.

This is hopeless, I thought and I started to cry.

I was going to die here and no one would know. I was going to die and no one would miss me. I was going to die and Fang wouldn't care.

But Fang did care, right? He wouldn't let me die.

I became a little bit delerious, shouting Fang's name as loud as I could, hoping he would hear me. I knew he couldn't but I wouldn't stop screaming. I had to try.

My ropes seemed to be growing tighter and the more I struggled, the harder they got to move in.

I looked at the timers. They all said the same, evil thing : 5 minutes. I had five minutes left in my short life. Five minutes to scream, five minutes to cry my eyes out. Five minutes to do whatever I wanted but it didn't make a damn bit of difference. I was going to die in this cave and Fang wasn't going to save me. Not this time.

I sat there in silence, listening to the clocks tick down. That five minutes felt like five lifetimes, each minute felt like a year. This was worse than torture. This was agony.

By the time the last thirty seconds came around, I began to think of all of the people I was leaving behind. There was my mom, Ella, Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, Fang, and even Jeb made it in there too. I knew they would miss me, hopefully. I knew I was letting them down; they were so proud of me for everything I've done, especially my mom. She'd miss me the most. She and Ells. I knew Jeb would miss me. He loved me in his own strange way, and he'd already lost one child that it almost seemed cruel for him to lose another. I thought of Ari for the first time in years. I hoped he knew I loved him, even when he was trying to kill me. He was one of the good guys after all.

Then, I thought about my life, things I'd do differently. My biggest regret was letting Fang go. I needed him here with me now. He would know what to do. He always did.

The timer was down to ten seconds and I saw it only fit that I count down with it as my life literally flashed before my eyes.

_Ten..._

I thought about my childhood, my life in a cage.

_Nine..._

I thought of my flock, and building a home with Jeb.

_Eight..._

I thought of mom and her chocolate chip cookies, her warm smile making all my fears go away.

_Seven..._

I thought of Ella and how excited we both were to have a real family, sisters forever.

_Six..._

I thought of Iggy and his cynical ways, how he always made me laugh.

_Five..._

I thought of Nudge, my little peacemaker and how she nursed my back to health.

_Four..._

I thought of Gazzy, my little trouble maker and how he always kept me on my toes.

_Three..._

I thought of Dyaln and Angel and how their betrayl was worse than any injury.

_Two..._

I thought of Fang and how he made me feel. He was my best friend, my partner, and the love of my life. I would miss him the most.

None of it mattered now anyway. My time was up and Fang wasn't there to save me.

**Angel**

_One..._

I smiled to myself as I heard a familiar pop in the distance. I turned around to see a giant mushroom cloud and to feel a large gust of dust filled wind send me spinning. I flapped my wings hard and straightened myself out as I looked over at Dylan in triumph.

We had done it. We had killed Maximum Ride.

**Max**

That last second was the slowest. It was longer than the five minutes before but not long enough to escape the pain following.

There was a huge flash of white light that blinded me instantly. I was walking blind for a split second before being thrown against the cavern wall by a huge blast of energy.

I could feel my body disinegrating. What was a few seconds felt like ages. I felt myself tearing apart, my skin peeling off my face. I was screaming bloody murder, but it didn't do any good. I was dead in a matter of seconds, my body floating in pieces around me.

I felt strangely free, strangely light and airy but I wasn't supposed to feel anything; I was dead. My suspicions were cut short by another blinding light that quickly fell into utter and complete darkness. Now, I was truely dead.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Fang**

I woke up to the dingey beams of light peaking through the old blinds. The light, even though discolored was still perfectly bright and painful to look at. I slowly got up and rubbed my eyes as I made my way towards the only grimy window in the motel room. I threw open the blinds, letting the first lights from the sunrise illuminate the crappy living space. It was a simple and run down room, only furnished by a creaky bed and a cigarette stained, yellow dresser and table. There was a lamp, but it barely worked to send out a flicker of dim light. It was the last place I ever expected to be and somewhere I vowed to never be again.

I looked back to the bed and saw the sheets move around. I prayed to God that she didn't wake up. For once, let her stay asleep. Thankfully, after a few more minutes, the stirring stopped and I let out a relieved breath. Finally...

I walked over quietly to the dresser and pulled out a pair of black denim jeans, hoping they would be okay for yet another wear. I only had two pairs, and both of them had not been washed in quite a while. I pulled out the black tee next to the pants and pulled it over my head. I slowly moved over to the lone chair near the table and grabbed my jacket. I was careful not to disturb her clothes making sure every last piece stayed in place. I walked back over to the door and slipped on my boots. I was overly cautious in opening the door, slowly inching it open. Finally, it was open enough for me to slip through the tiniest crack so I got out fast, shutting the door quietly behind me.

I started swiftly walking across the parking lot, still praying that she didn't wake up and follow me like she always did. I really needed to be alone right now and seeing her just caused me stress. I always felt guilty around her and it had been getting progressively worse by the day. It was getting to the point that I couldn't stand to be around her for long. I hated the feelings she was giving me now. I needed to escape.

It had been a few minutes and she still hadn't followed me, so I started breaking out into a run. I let myself gain intense speed before pounding down on my wings and launching myself into the air. I felt the wind rip through my hair, burning my face and giving me whiplash. It was so refreshing, the air invigorating me. It felt so good to be liberated instead of being held prisoner to my feelings and...her...

No, not thinking about that...not now...

I let my mind get lost in the sky, the clouds. Before I knew it I could feel the rising sun pounding on my back. Obviously black was not the color to be wearing on a 75 degree winter day, in Florida no less. Guess they weren't kidding when they said global warming was a problem.

I looked down below to see the high rise of a city fast approaching. I quickly lowered my altitude and let myself glide down farther and farther until my boots hit the pavement just outside the city limits. That should avoid any unwanted attention.

Dusting myself off, I headed into the city, making sure to avoid eye contact with anyone. I never knew who was out to kill me anymore so I kept my guard up at all times. I guess Max was able to teach one thing right.

As I neared the heart of the city, I passed an old little coffee shop and decided to pop in. The sweet smell of pastries and hot coffee immediately hit me, making me recognize the fact that I was actually pretty hungry. I could see the chef in the kitchen, the sweet dough he was rolling making my mouth water.

I headed up to the cash register where an apethetic teen was taking orders, her body hunched over the cash register, examining her nails. I coughed and a few, slow moments later and, she lifted her mopey, disinterested eyes to mine. It was as if a shock had gone off in her body when she saw me, she jumped up and immediately staightened herself out. I prayed to God she didn't know me. Please, don't let her know me!

Apparently, I misread the situation because in the next moment, she flipped her hair obnoxiously at me and said uber-nicely

"Hello and welcome to Sweet Sammie's. How may I serve you?"

She batted her eyelashes at me and could not stop smiling. Why the hell did every girl over the age of thirteen feel the need to flirt with me? Honestly, it was like as soon as I broke up with Max, every girl in the country wanted her chance at me!

I composed myself, brushed her ameteur advances off, and smiled politely.

"Can I get a large black coffee and two slices of lemon cake?" The more I thought about it, the more I thought I needed to get something for _her_ as well. I sighed. "Make that two black coffees."

She smiled extra wide again. "Is that all?"

"Yes." I forced a smile out and nodded.

"That will be 13.64 but I could give you a discount if you wanted..." she layed herself across the register so that her cleavage was visible. I shook my head and looked away. I was trying my best not to be rude to the poor girl, but she was making this really difficult. _This was just another one of those girls with an impossible fairytale, _I made myself think over and over until I turned back around.

"I'm fine. Thanks. I'll just pay." I said through strained lips. I was doing my best not to sound mean.

She stood back up and took the money from me with a frown on her face, then handed me my order. As I left the register, I saw her slump back down, berating herself over her so called 'failure'.

After that little interaction, I had no interest in staying. I left the store and walked around the city until I found a shady park to stay at. I sat down and watched the sun rise from the shadows, the little old couples taking their morning strolls along with it. This place actually made me feel normal.

A few minutes later, the sun was all the way up now and I figured that she would be awake by now, probably angrily pacing the crappy carpets of that god forsaken hell hole. I got up against my own will and forced myself to launch my body into the air and fly back towards the one place I hated the most.

The journey home seemed to be much shorter than the flight to the city. I was at the motel in what felt like five minutes and was back in front of the doorway of that room just seconds later.

I saw her before she heard me. I could see her long, wavy blonde hair through the window, her pink streaks, even though faded, still clearly visible. She had gotten dressed, thank God, but she still had her pajamas on. Maybe if I was lucky, she'd be sleepwalking.

I walked in and immediately regretted it. She caught notice of me and her face instantly hardened to a frown. She was trying to make me feel guilty and it wasn't working.

"So, where did you run off to?" she said snidely.

"I went to get some coffee." I replied boredly. "Here, I got you some."

I slid the cup onto the table as she stared at it, her eyes never moving off of it as if it was going to spontaneously explode. Did she honestly think it was poisin or something?

"Thanks..." she trailed, giving the cup a disgusted look. "But, I am more interested in if you think that this is a joke."

"What?"

"This is a matter of my safety! People everywhere are literally out to kill me and you would rather go get coffee than protect your girlfriend?" she was flipping out on me. "Someone could've killed me while you were gone? Don't you care?"

"Let's get two things straight, right now. One, you are **not** my girlfriend." I stated firmly.

"Oh, yeah, right. I'm just that girl you happen to sleep with occasionaly." I heard her mutter sarcastically under her breath. I tried my best not to punch her and let it go.

"Second, I do care, it's just that my entire life doesn't revolve around you!"

"Well, I think my life takes priority over yours right now seeing as though I am on the top of everyone's hit list in twenty five different countries, including America's! I am a dead woman unless you get your ass in gear and start protecting me!"

"Why do you think we are in this crappy little shack of a place? For fun? Hell no! It's to keep _you_ under the radar! I'm giving up my almost functional life and sanity to protect _you_!"

"Well I'm sorry for being a little paranoid when my little 'protector' seemingly disappears every morning for hours, leaving me undefended and vunerable." she spat.

"God! Don't feed me that bull crap! You are the farthest thing from vunerable! You would kill anyone within a ten foot radius of you if you got the chance!" I shot back.

"I was only trained to fight certain things! I can't ward myself off against snipers and the FBI! They'd rip me to shreds!" she shrieked.

"Well, then maybe they don't make Max's how they used to."

"I told you. Don't. Call. Me. Max." She said deathly serious, her brown eyes stone cold. "My name is Maya." I feel her hatred towards me multiply, and I was actually terrified. "And, this conversation is over."

**Unknown**

I woke up with a smashing headache. My head was throbbing; it felt as if my brain was going to explode out of my skull. I put my hand to my head and rubbed my temples, disturbing my perfectly curled golden hair.

Wait, _golden hair_? I thought. My hair is not golden!

I pulled on a piece of the hair, which did nothing to help my throbbing head, and examined it. This just wasn't golden, it was **gold. **It was like the kind of gold you found in jewelry or rich people's furniture.

Okay, wierd. I thought.

I got up from off the floor, which is apparently where I was sleeping, and started to walk around.

Okay, this is really strange. I was beginning to be creeped out, but that feeling was quickly replaced by an overwhelming awe.

The place I was in was huge! It looked greco-roman with it's high vaulted ceilings and tall, corinthian pillars. Every wall and cieling was painted with beautifully detailed murals and scenes depicting angels and gods and all sorts of other beings. The floors were made of white marble that echoed with each step I took. There was gorgeous furniture from all time periods, but most seemed to be older and all guileded in gold, silver, and valuable stones. Whoever lived here must've been insanely rich, if anyone lived here. I hadn't heard any footsteps or voices coming from anywhere so far.

I made my way down the hall until I reached a grand foyer. There was a golden carpet leading from the huge double doors, which a assumed were the front doors, up to a grand doube staircase that branched off to various floors. There was a fountain in the corner and a few pedestols holding vases and various plants in the others.

I walked over to the front doors and pulled them open with ease. Obviously I was stronger than I looked.

I took one step forward before shrieking on the top of my lungs and jumping back. Up above, there was a clear blue sky and below lay the exact same thing. This mansion was floating in mid-air, thousands of feet above ground.

I ran back in and slammed the doors shut, gasping for breath and trying to calm myself down. I was so high on adrenaline that it took me a few moments to register the fact that someone else was standing across the hall from me. As I calmed myself, I saw that she was absolutely gorgeous. Her light auburn hair was cut in short, spiraling curls around her porcelan face. Her green eyes smiled kindly at me as she gestured me to follow her back down the hall. I trailed quietly behind her gown's long, white train. I would think she was wearing a wedding gown if I didn't recognize its greek detail and informal features.

She slowed down her pace until she was walking by my side, our steps in perfect synch.

"We've been expecting your arrival." she said warmly.

"You have?" I asked, kind of surprised.

"Oh yes." she replied. "My mother and I have been waiting for you to come for a while."

"Why?" I asked.

"My mother says you are of great importance to the future of this world, that you are needed for a very important task."

"I am?" This was becoming very confusing.

She smiled at me, obviously amused at the fact I couldn't remember anything.

"Don't worry. My mother will explain everything." she said kindly.

We continued walking in silence. Now I had more questions than ever before. Who was I? Where did I come from? Why am I so important? These were the most frequent.

Suddenly, we stopped at another pair of double doors but these were different. They were guarded by golden women at least twenty feet tall. Both of them looked down at us and asked the same question.

"Why are you here? State your purpose!"

"I am Lady Mimzy and I seek an audience with Her Majesty." The beautiful lady said.

The guards however, immediatly turned their attention on me. Mimzy quickly saved me from them.

"This is the visitor Her Majesty asked for, the one she said was coming."

The guards looked satisfied and opened the doors to what looked like a giant observitory. The roof was made up of glass that let in the skies above. Light poured into the large space making the marble floors shimmer and shine. There was a giant throne near the back center of the room and tiny, bright orbs in various colors floated about all around.

I reached out to touch one but Mimzy grabbed my hand. I looked at her and saw her face was dead serious now.

"Don't touch them, for your own sake." she warned.

I nodded in understanding as I walked further into the room. There seemed to be no one there, but apparently I was wrong.

"It's alright my daughter, I wouldn't let them harm our guest." said a woman from the back of the room.

She was turned away from me so I couldn't see he face, just her long stream of raven's hair, so black that it was a deep shade of purple. There were more of those orbs in her hair, each one a whiteish-blue color.

"I know mother." Mimzy said apologetically. "I meant no disrespect."

She turned around, her face just as beautiful as her daughter's. She had pale purple eyes that sparkled with youth and motherly love. Her face was youthful in appearance as well, but you could tell she was older. Her skin was flawless and she moved as gracefully as a dancer. All I wanted to do was go up and hug that woman and stay in her arms forever.

"I know you didn't." she said sweetly as she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Thank you mother." Mimzy smiled, exposing her beautifully straight, white teeth.

"Now, time to deal with some business." the woman said as she changed her focus onto me. "Tell me child, why do you think you are here?"

"I don't know." I answered honestly. "I don't even know who I am!"

"I know child, I know." she responded calmly.

"Who am I? Do you know?"

"Yes."

"Then please, tell me!" I pleaded.

"I will. It is nessicary for you to know who you are so that you have the drive to complete the prophecy you were destined for."

I wasn't listening to a word she was saying. All I heard was a yes. She neared me and pulled one of the orbs off of her head. She held it out in front of my face.

"This is a star from the Ethreal Universe. It will restore your memories." she explained.

Then, she placed it to my forehead and I felt a white hot pain burst into my skull. I felt like my head was on fire but slowly, my memories came back, first as clips, then as full blown memories. I remembered friends, family, and love as well as pain, fear, and tragedy. I remembered everything, everything and more. It was like seeing for the first time, like was blind all my life and then I opened my eyes and suddenly everything was clear.

Slowly the pain faded away, but a new pain took its place. That new pain soon turned to anger and then rage. I felt like destroying everything and everyone and I was going to start with the ones who left me. The ones who abandoned me would be the first to die.

I was so caught up in my rage that I didn't hear the lady say those few, unholy words.

"Welcome back, Maximum Ride."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Max (I hope)**

"You shouldn't have brought my memories back." I hissed.

"I know, but it was the only way to get you to do the job I need you to do." the woman replied calmly.

"Is your job worth my sanity?" I spat back.

"I understand that you are hurt, but-"

I cut the lady off. "Hurt? HURT! I am beyond hurt, I am furious! I feel betrayed and lost and duped and so angry! I _feel_ like destroying everyone and everything I ever knew! My whole life just feels like one big lie. It's like I am being punished for something and I don't know what!"

"I can relate to that Max but what you need to know is-"

I cut her off yet again. "What I know is that I want revenge and I will have it. Angel will pay for what she did to me and so will anyone involved, even if that means I have to kill a million white coats to do it! That bitch will die burning!" I shrieked on those last few words.

I felt so angry, so enraged as if it was my entire being. I felt so upset and I didn't know how to control it. I looked over to the lady to see her smililng. This really seemed to annoy me.

"Good." was all she said.

"What's good!" I demanded.

"It is good that I chose the right person for this job. I feel that you will complete it quite nicely."

"Stop speaking in damn riddles!" I shouted. "What's this job you keep talking about!"

"Something very important that only you can complete correctly." she said, her voice cryptic and a hundred percent infuriating.

"And _why_ is it so _important_ that you would find a reason in giving me back thesee God-awful memories?" I seethed through pursed lips.

"That, my dear, would require a very long explanation."

I locked my eyes on hers, mine unwavering and determined until she slowly smiled again.

"Alright but you need to know the entire story if I am to tell you. So, where to begin...? Ah! Well, as you may know, this palace is not exactly...normal."

"Yeah, that's an understatement." I mumbled under my breath, but she heard me anyway.

"Yes, well, that is because this palace, and its surrounding islands, do not truely exist in your world, the Realm of Mortals."

"Wait, if this palace doesn't exist, then how are we in it?"

"Because this palace does exist in another world, the Realm of the Gods."

"Gods? As in the ones from Greek mythology? Yeah, right!" I rolled my eyes and laughed. This lady was nuts.

"Well, just think about it for a minute. How can a palace float in mid-air? How can a seemingly normal woman manipulate the stars? And, how can a seemingly dead child, be alive once again?"

The more I thought about it, the more the pieces fell into place. Everything fit into her explanation which made me wonder who she really was. I knew she wasn't human now, and niether was her daughter, and I knew those guard people weren't human, but I really and all honestly thought I was hallucinating when I saw them. More than anything however, I was thinking about myself. Where did all of this leave me? Was I human or was I something else? I needed answers.

"Who are you?" I asked, a little wary now.

"I am a titan, the Titan Luminara, Queen of the Stars and Foreseer of Undecided Paths. Sometimes I am called the Titan of Peace. I have other titles, but I won't bore you with details."

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of you. I mean, I know the major gods and some titans but I don't think I've ever even heard..."

"I wouldn't expect you to know me. My more prominent title is the Lost or Forgotten Titan."

"Why?"

"Well, that requires a very long story but I will try to do my best in summarizing it." she took a breath and started her story. "As you may already know, my brothers and sisters are no strangers to violence. They used to have great wars against one another, usually ending up in stalemate or truce with Earth as the battle ground. They would pick sides and fight for years and years on end, causing chaos and destruction. That is why the Earth was a volcanic mass in the beginning you know. Anyway, I myself would never pick a side, and as time went on, no one really cared anymore and I was left alone."

"Something had to have happened." I interjected, fascinated by her past. "Otherwise, I don't think you'd be here."

"Right you are." she smiled at me. "Eventually, there was a period of great peace after the titans over threw their parents, Gaea and Oranous, the Earth and Sky. The atmosphere became livable, the oceans were created, and trees and life started to grow everywhere. I created a kingdom for myself, the Isle de Lune, on what modern day maps would call the equator. It was a a small but luxurious land with richness and beauty, and easily overlooked by the others since they were building huge empires such as the continents you know today as Asia, America, Austrailia, and so on."

"That doesn't sound bad at all." I commented softly.

"I know. It was a paridise and for the longest time, everyone appeared to be happy, humans and immortals together in peace. After a few million millenia, the gods were born along with a daughter of my own, Mimzy. There was plenty of room for all of them to live happily, but the gods were heading down the same path as their parents before them. Soon, a war was upon us all. I was the first to see it so I called a council to show them this terrible vision but instead of trying to prevent this war from happening, they all wanted to fight it. Both sides wanted me in on this war after the gods learned of my tremendous powers and niether side would take no for an answer. I repeatedly said I was of peace, that I would remain neutral but no one was happy with my answer. After a few years of asking, they turned their attentions to my daughter, seeing her as a way to get to me. She was a human girl at the time, so the gods took up a sick, cruel game : whoever killed my daughter first would pin it on the other side so I would have to join in on their side. A few years passed and the game had not been working until one day my brother, Apocalypse, succeeded by influencing one of Apollo's stray arrows to mark my daughter perfectly in the chest. I was livid, and in a fit of rage, I uprooted my palace, my daughter, and my kingdom and I hid them in the Secluded Realm."

"What happened after?" I gaped. "Mimzy had to have lived! How else could she be here now?"

"I was able to save her just in the nick of time, transforming her into a goddess to ensure her safety. She is my only child and I didn't want anything to happen to her ever again. Time passed and I eventually forgave almost all involved. I opened my palace to anyone who wished to come under the rule that they had to be de-weaponized and they had to come under peace. The gods who had won the war accepted this, while the titans who had lost did not. I still occasionally see a god or titan come through these walls, but mostly it is just my daughter, my heralds, and I who live in my paridise."

"Your heralds?"

"Yes, since I abstained myself from the mortal world after the Titan War, as it is called, I felt the need to create a legion of powerful protectors that ensure the ideals of peace and balance on Earth. They do not involve themselves in human affairs, but instead battle the godly or god-gifted evils that my brother, Apocolypse, placed on the planet before his eternal imprisonment in Tartarus." she looked away for a moment. "You have seen some of my heralds before: the guards outside my doors."

"Those were your heralds? How on Earth do they fit in with humans? They were like twenty feet tall!"

"I have many different heralds and those kind do not live on Earth. They are my armed guard. Immortal, golden, and indestructable warriors whose primary purpose is to secure and defend this land and its inhabitents from any hostile attack."

"Wow." I really had no idea what to say to that. And there was the fact that my brain couldn't process this much unbelievable stuff at once.

"My other heralds are more human like; they are small, destructable, and are born human, though once they beocme fairies, are completely compitent and somewhat deadly to humans. Not many are killed easily though they can be damaged by human weapons. I catagorize them into two groups: Heralds and -"

"Hold on a second. Fairies? Really?" I cut her off again as I was trying to desperately catch up on all of this. While she was pressing onwards, my mind felt ten steps behind.

"Yes, all of my heralds and warriors have wings added on to their powers, giving them the title of fairie."

"Okay..." My mind hurt. Again.

"Just forget I said anything like that. It is all too confusing and I honestly do not have the time to explain it all out. We are on a very tight schedual as it is."

"Okay." I agree. "This is interesting and all, but how does it relate to the job I am suposed to do?"

"Your job is one that will be extemely difficult and will break every code and moral you ever held. However, I am sure you can do it, especially now that I have seen that you have the will power to do so."

"Tell me what I have to do."

"I have seen a terrible path unfold in the distance, and it is the one that is taking center stage among all others. If you do not stop this fate and its source, that path will consume all others and the world will be destroyed."

"Why me though? What do I have that is so special?"

"Besides great power? You personally know the people that have created this path and you know how to stop them."

"Who is it?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"It is the one person you hate most. She and her little School of followers."

"Angel!" I snarled, bringing back all the hate from before. "Oh, I'm so going to-..."

"Max," This time, she cut me off. "I will give you the power to stop the School and to stop her. I will leave it up to you how to deal with her but in the end they all must be destroyed and Angel must die. It is the only way to ensure peace."

And it was with those words that a brilliant idea popped into my head. I suddenly knew what I was going to do, and no one was going to see it coming.

"Don't worry Your Majesty." I said, a grin twitching on my lips. "I know exactly, what I'm doing."

"Good." she smiled. "Then this is where we part, for now."

I nodded and she motioned for me to move into the center of the room. I stood over top of a giant symbol carved into the marble. I looked up to Luminara to see her pull a star from her hair, the one closeset to her ear. She closed her eyes, murmured a few words in a foriegn language and, let the star go.

It floated to the floor and let itself be absorbed. I looked down and saw the symbol light up, filling the room with bright white light. The light filled me, surrounded me, making me feel light and powerful.

"When the light fades, you will be back on Earth." I heard her voice come through the thick light. "And when the time comes, you will know what to do." She was saying something else but I couldn't make it out. The last thing I heard was a faint "Good luck."

Then, the light turned blinding. I couldn't see and I could swear I was falling and falling fast. Darkness was all around me and the next thing I knew I felt a heavy crash. I had just hit the ground. And hard.

**Fang**

It had been a few hours since the fight and they might just have been the quietest few hours of my life. Maya was refusing to talk to me but honestly, I wasn't complaining. I would pick her silence over her talking any day. I really did feel badly though. I must've really hurt her for her to be this quiet. But, hey, she looks like Max and in a fight, she had to know that was gonna come up sometime.

I sighed and leaned back into the chair stealing glances at Maya who I assumed was stealing glances at me. She was laying on the bed, flipping throught the crappy cable channels and trying to look angrry. She was failing miserably, her obvious need to see my reaction was both amusing and a little bit sad. If she was trying this hard to get some attention, I should really have let her out more. I guess she just reminded me so much of Max that I want to protect her like I wanted to do to Max. But, she wasn't Max, as she was constantly telling me everytime I "looked at her wrong", and even then, Max never needed anyone's protection. She was a one-woman, kick-ass show. And that was why I loved her. Why I still love her.

I knew needed to go and see her. I was a jackass the last time I saw her and I missed her and wanted to know if she was okay, if she was happy and safe. I needed to know if that guy Dyaln was still around. God, I hated him. I wish he would fly away and never come back. I mean, what guy comes into your life as a shock, and then tries to steal your girlfriend, saying that apparently they were made for each other despite the fact that you two were perfectly in love without him. That pretty much sums up how my relationship with Dyaln is. I hate the guy's guts. Even thinking of him near Max gives me the creeps.

I shook Max out of my head and tried to watch some of the crappy TV, but it was too painful to watch on the blurry, ancient box. All I saw was Max's face in the screen. I let out a loud sigh and Maya laid back on the pillows, making the entire bed screech. After a few more minutes of doing nothing, a revelation hit me like a lightning bolt and I stood up and turned off the TV, tired of its constant thrumming sounds. Maya glared at me before telling me off again, but I wasn't really paying attention to her yells. I knew what I had to do. I had to go find Max.

I ran around the motel room like a possesed man while Maya was on my heels, her yelling growing increasingly louder but I still couldn't hear her. I was purposely tuning her out, a new and very useful skill I had developed over the year.

I grabbed my only other shirt, my spare jeans, a pair of socks, and some underwear in my pack along with my toothbrush and the photo of the flock that I always carried with me. It was a going away present from Angel last year, who creepily knew I was leaving the flock before I did. But, she's telepathic and all that freaky crap so I let it go. Anyway, I never went anywhere without it and, somehow, it made me feel connected to them in a way.

I pushed the photo carefully into the front pocket along with a large wad of cash from my emergency fund Ms. Martinez had given me last year. I had nearly cleared it out, save a hundred or so bucks, but I needed it to keep Maya safe. I should know more than anyone that when the School wants you back, they don't stop hunting you until they have you again. It had nearly taken everything I had to avoid them this go round and I wasn't about to take any chances, but now, there was something more important I had to do. Maya could live on her own for a while. I was sure she was capable of that.

When I was done packing, I finally tuned Maya back in to find myself right in the middle of a lecture. She saw my face scrunch up a little and I had been tuning her out. Her face got really red and I was regretting telling her about my newly developed skill.

"WERE YOU TUNING ME OUT THE ENTIRE TIME?" She shrieked. "HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO A WORD I'VE BEEN SAYING?"

"Yes, and no." I answered honestly.

"UUUGGGHHHHH!" she huffed. I could almost swear her face was purple. "I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"

"The feeling's mutual!" I actually surpised myself by yelling back.

"Well, good!" She screamed in my face before storming back to the bed and flopping on. "You know, I thought you were different, but I guess I was wrong. You are just like every other douchebag guy who pretends to like a girl based on her personality, but all you really care about is how she looks and when you have sex with her, you imagine someone else, or in my case, all you see is a copy of the girl you really want!"

"Oh, come on!" I sighed. Not this again.

"It's true! All you care about is Max! I hear you talk in your sleep. All you say is crap like 'Max this' and 'Max that'!" she was mocking me. "Just admit it! Just tell me you're still in love with her!"

"Maya..."

"Tell me! Tell me, and I'll promise to leave you alone."

I ran my fingers through my hair, exasperated. Finally, I got my mind straight enough to at least tell her the truth for once. "Yes, Maya, yes. I still love Max. I never stopped." I looked at her, her face striken with despair. "Are you happy now?"

She slumped onto the bed and looked down at the floor. "Yes." she said monotonously and avoiding eye contact. "Now go."

"What?"

"Go. Go to Max. It's obvious you don't want to be here," she took in a deep, ragged breath. "and I can't keep you here. Not anymore."

"Maya...what...?"

"You need to see her Fang. It's not fair for me to keep you here away from her. Go." she looked up and was almost smiling.

I took a long sigh of relief and smiled down at Maya, sincerely grateful for what she was doing. "Thank you Maya."

She shrugged her shoulders and motioned me to get my stuff. I did and she walked with me to the door. I turned around and kissed her forehead, obviously surprising her.

"I really am grateful Maya and I am sorry if I ever made you feel like you were second best." I apologized. "I never saw you that way."

"I know, and it's okay. Besides, it wasn't your fault. I was just clinging onto something I knew I could never really have." she shook her head. "I'm the one who's sorry."

"Don't be." I smiled and she did too. I opened the door and let the afternoon sun hit my skin; the feeling was glorious.

I turned back to Maya before I left. I needed to make sure she was okay without me.

"I'll be fine Fang." Maya said, sensing my worry. "You know me, tough as nails and strong as steel, willing to die fighting and never one to back down from a challenge."

"I know. And I will come back for you." I said. "That's a promise."

She shook her head and smirked. "Get out of here you stupid goof. You're keeping Max waiting."

I laughed and flew off at full speed. I figured Max was still near the mountains, seeing as thoguh they would be easier to hide in and make for good hideouts. I'd start there and if she was gone, then I'd just have to search everywhere till I found her. I would find her. Failure was not an option this time.

"Max, here I come."


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so I know that the x-men haven't come in yet but I promise they will soon, like in a few chapters or so. I still have to set up a few things before they come in. Only one of them will play a major role though. And the last chapter was not a PJO cross over or anything (just sayin). I'm going to be making up my own gods along with some from classic mythology. Percy Jackson is not involved in this story at all. Oh, and just as a warning, this chapter is majorly rated T or possibly even M because it is going to get somewhat sexual during the last part. Thanks for reading! Enjoy!**

Chapter 8

**Angel**

Three days after the end of Max and I'm still gloating. On the inside that is. I have to keep up my mournful appearence around the rest of these kids or they would think I was up to something again. They've been moping around this house ever since I came home "in tears" over Max's "accident". They all didn't believe me until I showed them Max's pack, the one I stole from her after I knocked her out. They had already heard of the "avalanche" in the mountains and with the pack as proof, they believed my little story. They would never, ever know it was me.

Anyway, while Dylan and I are trying to celebrate a victory, Nudge is constantly crying, and when she's not she's despondently staring at walls and refusing to eat, Iggy is extremely angry and is breaking things all over the place, and Gazzy hasn't left his room since he heard the news. They are all really ruining my moment of victory.

I was just about to rip Iggy's head off for smashing yet another china plate, the fifth so far, when a phone went off. Everyone's head snapped up and looked around, everyone knowing that we don't have cells._ Great,_ I thought. _My work phone is going off. How am I gonna explain this one? _I flashed a quick look at Dylan who instantly gave me a cover story mentally. At least he was good for something.

"Sorry!" I apologize with all the fake sadness I can muster. "I forgot I had an emergency phone. I'll go and turn it off."

I slumped off down the hall and watched all their heads return down to their previous, monotonous state. They didn't even question me about the phone. If Max was here, she'd be all over it, but, she wasn't so, I didn't really care what the other's thought. When I was sure that they were'nt looking, I sprinted down the hall and frantically grabbed the phone, picking it up on the last ring.

"Hello!" I said, faking cheerfulness. I never knew who was going to be on the other end, so I figured it better to be polite than rude.

"Agent 7. Long time, no report." said a rather miffed voice from the other end. It was a voice that I knew all too well and one that I would never, ever forget.

I straightened myself out before responding, shifting into business mode. "Who is this?" I ask in a serious yet demanding tone, just in case someone is eavesdropping. Gazzy did that once and it took all my power to make him 'forget' it. I didn't ever want to do that again.

"You know who this is Agent 7. I have just called to confirm the information given to us."

"What do you need confirmation of?"

"Is the job done? Is the project terminated?" The questions asked sounded more like statements. Cold, calculating statements.

"Yes. The mission was a success. My job is completed."

"Good, but, on the contrary, you job is far from over."

"What?"

"We have been tracking another object throughout the skies of the United States. It's fast, it's small and it's headed your way."

There was only one other person that could come up under the radar like that besides us and Max II and that person was going on my 'don't like' list right now.

"I know what it is, or rather _who_ it is." I say with an annoyed sigh. Why couldn't Fang just butt out of business that wasn't his? "What do you want me to do with him?"

"Let him believe the story you let fall into play. If he believes you and leaves you and the mission alone, do nothing, but if he becomes a problem, then terminate said problem. After all, that is what you do best."

"Yes. Agreed. I understand." I rub my temples, my head throbbing now. Just when I thought I was done, Fang had to caome in and mess things up.

"Have you set phase two of our plan into motion?" the person cut through my thoughts.

"Yes. Our contacts were given the information and eagarly accepted the assignment. They are ready when we are."

"Good. I will call them in when I see fit. You have done well, Agent 7. You have proven yourself worthy of your status and proven me wrong. I guess a six year old telepath is capable of the work this business requires." the voice said, sadism covering those last words.

"Thank you Director. I won't fail you."

"Oh, I know you won't. You do know, after all, what we do to failure in this business."

"Yes, sir." I gulped. "I do." I knew all too well.

"Good day Angel." he said using my real name. That sent shivers up my spine. "Pass my message onto Dylan as well. You'll need him for assistance."

"I will."

He hangs up on me without another word. I always hate his calls. They're the only things that truely scare me anymore. I'll do what he says, but only because I have to. I don't like relying on other people, especailly Dylan since I don't know where his real loyalties lie. He really did start to like Max for a while and he can never do anything I say right. If it was up to me, I would work solo like I used to. A partner is too much dead wieght.

I walk out and into the hallway, thinking about what I was going to do next. Fang was on his way, and I was going to have to come up with a really good lie to rip his heart in pieces. Hahaha! Oh, I could not wait to see his face!

**Fang**

I was flying over the Rockys as the sun was setting, giving the mountains a blood red glow that seemed to melt into the sky. It was cooler up in the mountains, my skin puckering with goosebumps and my lips slowly turning a pale blue. I knew that I needed to rest soon so I didn't freeze to death but I had to keep up my search as long as possible. I would search until the nightfall, then I would rest.

My search was becoming frustrating. I had been over the Rocky's twice now and still couldn't find any sign of Max or the flock. Did they leave? Did I come too late?

I flew for a few more minutes before giving up for the day, drifting down to nearby cave. I paced around, cursing myself for not finding anything again. I was just about to set up my camp for the night when I saw light peaking out from between the cliff faces. I ran up to the edge of the cliff to see smoke rising from where the light was coming. Someone was making a campfire.

I grabbed my pack from off the cliff floor and flew down to where the fire was. Hopefully it was Max sending out some kind of signal. Angel had to have known I was coming. She can see stuff like that and had probably told the entire flock of my return. They were going to be so happy to see me, I hoped. They did seem to be on Max's side when I left. I just hoped they didn't hate me for leaving.

When I got down to the campfire, I saw that it wasn't Max at the fire, but someone else I knew. Her tiny figure was outlined in the red glow of the flames, her blonde hair looked a lit with a raging fire and so did her eyes. She almost looked possesed by the flame. It was actually kinda scary.

"Angel?" I asked carefully incase it wasn't her or if she had gone crazy again. "Is that you?"

She looked up, her stony expression forcing itself into a semi-smile. Something was off here.

"Hi Fang." she said in barely a whisper. Her eyes were glassed over and her voice was hitched as if she were going to cry.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, both concerned for her wellbeing and afraid of what was going to come out of her mouth. She looked really messed up.

She shook her head slowly, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Something awful's happened." she said through her tears.

"What's happened Angel?" I asked more urgently this time, my blood pumping faster and faster as I run through various worst case scenarios in my head : Iggy and Gazzy getting hurt in their little test runs, Nudge getting kidnapped, Max getting kidnapped, and they just kept on getting worse from there.

"It's Max. She had an...accident." she sobbed.

My heart nearly stopped but began pumping ten fold. Adrenaline was coursing through my viens, my heart visibly pounding out of my chest. My worst fears were taking form as I desperately willed them to go away.

"What happened? Is she okay?" I demanded to know.

Angel's body began shaking, her sobs becoming violent and messy. When she finally composed herself, she looked like a wreck.

"Th-there was a rock slide." she gasped for air. "Sh-she got ca-caught in it and...Oh, God! Fang! She got trapped in it a-and she..." Angel looked away as she started to wail. I had the worst sinking feeling in the world as she sobbed and I knew what she was going to say next.

"No. Oh, God. Please. NO!" I begged Angel to tell me otherwise, to tell me she made it out alive. I prayed to God that I was wrong.

"I'm so sorry, Fang." Angel cried. "Max is dead. She's...gone."

Angel started sobbing again and I immediately moved away. I couldn't stand to be near anyone right now. The ground was spinning and I felt sick, like I was going to puke at any moment. I was losing control of my mind, the smashing feeling that took over was so painful that I could hardly stand it. My ears were ringing, increasing the pain by a hundred. I felt lost. I felt blind.

I started screaming Max's name through the pain like a madman, as if that would bring her back. _Maybe_, I thought, _if_ _I screamed loud enough, she would hear me and come back. _I was beyond delusional at that point but I didn't care. Let them see me cry. Let them hear my screams. I could feel tears sting my eyes and cheeks as the mountain dust filled my eyes as well. From somewhere through my bloodshot eyes I could see Angel. She was sitting there, still crying from the sound of it, and watching me. She looked scared and sad and I knew she could feel my pain but I didn't care about how she felt. No one could feel as badly and as hopeless as I did now. I had just lost the one person I loved the most. How was I supposed to go on living now?

**Max**

When the darkness finally subsided, I was amazed at how much I could see. I could pick out every single detail and line on the stone walls around me, each one charred and blackened in an individual pattern. I ran my hands down the wall, taking in its coolness and its surprisingly smooth texture. There was something familiar about this texture, but I couldn't quite place it. Everything was running through my mind too fast for me to actually process the feel. This was all so surreal to me, like I was high on drugs or something. It was as if now, I was truely alive and I could see the world for what it really was. I wondered if this was how gods saw the world. Thinking of gods suddenly snapped me out of my fantasy as all the memories of before came back to me. I remembered why I was here and what I needed to do. I immediately got up and headed out.

However, my focus was soon turned away from the mission yet again when I turned around to be greeted by a very timid looking young woman. She was tall, skinny, with a middle eastern complexion and extremely dark hair. More importantly, she looked down right terrified. As I neared her, I could almost feel her fear growing like a disease. With every step I took near her, she took one step back. I however, being faster and stronger, caught up to her in a few long strides. I was close enough to her that I could see my reflection in her sunglasses and I suddenly knew why this woman was afraid of me.

It wasn't just my hair that was golden, it was my eyes as well. Two pure gold eyes stared back up at me as I examined myself in the tiny mirrors of her shades. My body was completely naked, naked and flawless. My skin was sun kissed, a perfect glowing tan. I turned my back to the lady to examine my wings as well. They felt light, nearly wieghtless, and were the same gold as my eyes and hair. My newly elongated hair ran past my perfectly toned butt and surrounded my body in a soft heap of curls. The curls ran over my now larger breasts and down my flawlessly toned abs. My legs were killer as well, my toned calves leading way up to my strong yet feminine thighs. I was literally perfect.

The woman was getting really freaked out and through my admiring, I could hear her call someone. I didn't care though. For some reason, I wasn't scared of anything.

Soon enough though, a squad of muscley guys came in toting really big guns over their shoulders. For some reason, those didn't scare me either. All I did was laugh and every male in the room dropped his jaw in amazement over me. Every eye in that room besides the woman's was ogling me and I could swear that every guy in that room had an erection right then and there.

I heard a chorus of 'uhhs' and 'umms' before one of the older and I was guessing more experienced men came up to me, trying not to stare at me for too long.

"Um, ma'am? You do know that you aren't wearing any clothes, right?" he asked, his face turning bright red.

"Does that bother you?" I ask seductively. For some reason, I feel overly confident, like I'm on top of the world.

"Uh, ma'am could you please follow me so we can get you something to wear." he looked away and signaled me to follow him. I shrugged and followed him willingly.

As we walked through out the tunnels, I could hear all the guys talking about me. Usually, I didn't like all this attention but now, I thrived in it. It made me beam with pride. I smoothly walked over to the guys and placed myself right in the middle of them. All of them froze in place for a split second, jaws to the floor, before resuming walking in a very nervous way. I smiled mischeviously.

"I don't make you big, strong men nervous do I?" I ask playfully.

"Uhhh..." was what I was given in return. I rolled my eyes. Men were so stupid, so dense.

I looked over to the strong, handsome brunette to my right with the chiseled jaw and intense blue eyes. I read his pulse. It was through the roof and even though it wasn't obvious, he was sweating profusely. I celebrated in my new ability to make men squirm. It was fun. I moved closer to my brunette, pushing him into the wall and grinding myself against him. For some reason, I was feeling really horny, like I needed to have sex with someone, and this guy was closest to do it with.

"Hey, anyone home?" I whispered in his ear.

I felt him tense up, his eyes averting mine. I smiled. A challenge. I like challenges. I pressed myself closer to him, placing his free hand on my waist, moving it up and over until it rested on my breast. I clasped my hand over his and pressed his hand down on my chest, letting his hand get a good squeeze. He gasped, almost horrifically, and pushed me away.

"What?" I said innocently. I almost felt hurt. Almost.

"I'm married." he said firmly and moved away from me. I frowned, but it was no loss to me. There were ten other guys who would kill to touch me.

I moved over to the others, pushing myself on three of them at a time, their hands moving all over me. It was like one giant orgy, right in the middle of the cave, every guy groping and squeezing me everwhere. I felt their kisses all over my body, in every crevice and corner, but none were exceptionally satisfying.

Our fun stopped when the older guy who told me to follow him cleared his throat. All the men immediately straightened up and formed a line, knowing that they would be in a ton of trouble later. I laughed to myself. The old man was just trying to ruin my fun but in a way, I'm glad he stopped it. I honestly didn't know how far I was willing to go with that and that scared me. It was as if my hormones or desires were taking place of my brain and my rationality. Maybe in this form, I was more instinctual than logical. If that was the case, then I really need to work on staying in control.

"Men, you are dismissed." the old man ordered.

"Yes Sir!" they replied before marching off without even a second glance at me. How rude!

"Ma'am, follow me." the old man instructed as he guided me out of the cave.

I felt the sun hit my bare skin, invigorating me. It felt so damn good that I didn't want to leave that spot. I started twirling round and I was pretty sure that everyone was staring at me, but I didn't care. It was like a euphoria of warm, intoxicating feelings. I felt so enveloped in the warmth, so at home. I was dancing and dancing and dancing until my foot hit somethig hard, waking me up. I opened my eyes and looked down, trying to find the thing that tripped me. It took me a second under the bright sun, but I was able to make out the silhouette of a small object.

I reached down and picked up the object. It was slightly bigger than my hand but still small enough to grasp and it had a short, ragged rope hanging off of it, obviously meant as a handle. I scrunched my eyes and focused harder on the object, the familiarity of the texture filling my mind. I wiped the grime and soot off of the object until I could see the faint etching of words on it. I tried shaking off the rest, but instead of dust flying off, a part of it fell off. I reached down and picked the part that flew off up off the dirt. It was a cap. I shook the object again and a tiny amount of liquid dripped out of it. I let my figertips catch the drops and I raised them to my nose, sniffing them and the smell of poisin filled my nostrils, anger filling my mind as I recognized the object. It was my canteen, the one I took hiking with me that day.

I spun around in rage, looking at the cave behind me, finally recognizing it for what it truely was. Now I knew why this place had looked so familiar. It was scorched and half way blown away, rubble and boulders taking its place, but it was still the same place. The area was leveled, but an explosion would do that to a mountain if it was large enough. This land was unholy and cursed. Didn't they know I had died here, in this very cave?

Suddenly, I had a growing suspicion about these people who these people were. They had set up a series of labs in white tents all around the area, armed guards surrounding the perimeter. I had a sinking feeling about why they were here, but I needed confirmation before I did anything extreme.

"What are you doing here?" I asked the old guy casually. He turned around, shocked that I actually asked a sensible question.

"I'm only here to guard the place. All these other folks are doing some sciencey stuff."

"Is that all?" I asked sweetly.

"Sorry ma'am. I can't disclose any more information than that." he said sharply as he turned from me, ending our convorsation.

I nodded and looked around, seeing every little detail in every tent. As I passed each one and each computer screen, the more my suspicions grew but as I passed the last tent, my suspicions were confimed. An older man in a white lab coat was talking secretively on the phone with someone else. I didn't hear much, but what I did hear was terrifying.

"Yes, the site has been secured." the man said.

There was some mumbling and then "No, we haven't found the body. Yet."

There was some louder noise from the other side and then "Well, we were planning to clone it again. Use its DNA to create more perfect versions. That or dissect it bit by bit. Personally, I don't see why we can't do both but..."

I stopped listening after that. I felt sick both physically and with rage. As I turned around, the old man was staring at me, his eyes stony and cold. I could tell by his expression of pure hatred that he was truely evil and all I wanted to do now was rip his head off. The woman from before was standing right next to him holding a syringe filled with a clear liquid and a focused yet demented look on her face. We were flanked by a few dozen soldiers and armed guard but I was still focused on the man. He was going to die first.

"You all are white coats aren't you? You work for the school." I said, keeping my cool while freaking out on the inside.

His evil smirk was all I needed in his answer. He motioned to the woman who came at me with the needle. My eyes narowed to dangerous slits. There was no way in hell that I was going to let her shoot me up with God knows what!

All I did was think about pushing the woman away and she was thrown up into the air, landing twenty feet away, her head hitting the cliff side. She slumped down and crumpled to the ground. I had no idea if she was dead or alive but at this point I could care less. I just threw a woman across the base by thinking about it. Were these the powers that Luminara was talking about?

I didn't have much time to think because all the guards had opened fire on me, thier guns blazing. I braced myself for death, thinking the end would come early for me once more. I would die here before my mission would even begin and I would fail Luminara. Suddenly the bullets stopped and I was still standing. Enfuriated, they opened fire again but this time, I looked up. I saw each bullet come at me and then pass right through my skin as if I were intangeable. I started to laugh histerically, enjoying my new gifts. I was absolutely invincible!

I flew up off the ground and put my hands out, slowly lifting them while focusing on the tents and labs. With that action, all the stations lifted up into the air and swirled around me in a vortex. I could hear people screaming from the inside, they were pleading for me to stop, but I wouldn't. I hated all of them as I thought of Angel and her betrayl. I wanted them all to die. Suddenly, I heard screaming. This was a horrible, desperate kind of screaming. I looked up and saw the whitecoats peeling apart just like I was when I was dying. I could feel their molecules ripping into shreds, destroying their inferstructures. The more I focused on killing them, the faster the peeling happened until they were disinegrating so fast that they looked as if they were bursting into piles of dust. The dust blew away and into the vortex, all of it swirling around me. I felt so powerful but I musn't let myself be distracted again. I had a job to do.

I slowly landed the vortex and everything fell beside me in giant heaps of destruction, all the tech and those controling it were destroyed. At some point, the old man must have disinegrated because only his helmet remained of him. I kicked it and sauntered off. I almost left until I remembered that I wasn't dressed. That would've been interesting to explain to passerbys.

I walked over to the woman who was gaining her conciousness back. She was on all fours as I neared her and in a fit of anger, she tried to jab the needle into my leg but she failed. I kicked the needle out of her hand, letting it roll down the base. She spat at me, calling me a few choice words before meeting my gaze.

"Who...who are you?" she gasped.

I looked down at her, cocking my head to the side. She looked about my size. Her clothes would do just fine.

Deciding to answer her, I picked her up by the colar and looked her straight in the eye so she could feel my pain, my anger.

"I'm the girl you had killed." I hissed in her ear. "I'm Maximum Ride."

She gave me a horrified stare before she dissolved in my hands. Her clothes fell in a heap on the canyon floor that quickly put on my body. They were conservative and modest, even the underwear, but they were functional so I didn't complain. I was going to need a bigger bra though. And panties. I guess my perfect body also came with annoying changes that I was going to have to keep up with. Oh well.

I took her ID just in case before jumping up and jetting far away from that God-forsaken hell hole. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew what I was looknig for. I would just go with my gut. That usually steered me in the right direction.

"Watch out world. Max is back!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Fang**

My life is hell. Ever since I found out about Max that fateful day, I've been staying with the rest of the flock in one of the safe houses that had been set up for us. It's not really like I'm staying there though. All anyone, including myself, does is sit and mope around except for Iggy. All he does is start fights and break things, causing Angel to scream and Nudge to burst into tears. I'd only been here a few days and I swear there have been more fights than in my entire childhood with them. It was kinda scary and beyond depressing to see everyone falling apart around me.

I can't really remember much of what happened before; how I got here was a blur along with the past few days. The minutes seem to take years but the days end all too soon, fading to nights almost instantaneously. All I can remember is my conversation with Angel. That, I can remember with perfect clarity. After that, I remember the process of walking miles and miles until coming to this house and collapsing in a heap on the floor. I don't think I was moved and was hardly greeted by the others. They barely even aknowledged my existance, but I didn't care. I wanted to be left alone, and so did they. Ever since, we had all kept to our officialy claimed sections of the house: Nudge taking the sofa, Angel taking the kitchen, Iggy taking the space in between, and I was allowed to wander as long as I didn't disturb anything. I had yet to see Dylan and Gazzy hadn't left his room since he found out.

Besides that, the house was dead silent. No one dared make a noise for risk of saying the wrong thing to set off either Iggy or Nudge. We still hadn't figured out which one was worse but they were both highly infuriating. I had only been here a little while and wanted to strangle both of them. I mean, I loved them both but they were grinding down on my already frayed nerves.

I needed a shower and new clothes. I was still in the same clothes I was the day I left Maya and hadn't taken a shower since days before then. My hair was probably greasy enough to light a fire on it, but again, I could care less. I don't feel like doing anything ever again.

**Someone of Great Importance**

Walking round my study, I had just gotten back from a business conference in London, and I was trying to relax. My father's associates always made me tense up. They were all so official and calculating, the exact opposite of what I wanted to be. If anything, when I took over my father's company, I would be an ethical CEO. Some of the things those men talked about were horrific to say the least, if not down right midieval.

I loosened my tie and threw my suit jacket down on the ground. For an expensive suit, it sure was uncomfortable. The lining was hard, making my back ache the entire time. Now, with it off, I could finally let myself lie down and breathe.

I took my spot at my chair near the TV. The housekeeper had started a fire in the mantle below, warming the room and expelling the winter chills. These were the times I wished my father would let me go out to places like the beach, places that were warm and fun, but due to my 'condition', I was strictly forbidden to go. It's not like I was diseased or anything. No, my father is just ashamed of having a freak for a son.

I shoved the enraging thoughts out of my head and flicked on the TV, channel surfing until I got to Channel 3 News. There was a bright big headline on the top of the screen that immediatly caught my attention.

It said "Magneto Loose Again."

I immediately ran to the television and turned up the volume until the room was engulfed in sound. I didn't much care what the reporter was saying, all I saw was Magneto throwing buses around and tearing down buildings with his Brotherhood. It was classic Magneto, but he was causing a lot of damage.

_"Many people are asking 'Where are the X-men?' as they have yet to arrive to stop the menace." _

I turned my attention to the reporter, her smiling face staring at my straight one. How could she be smiling through all this?

I turned back to the live feed, watching more destruction and chaos ensue. I was beginning to get really worried until I saw a plane land far away in the diastance. Then, almost immediately, I saw my team mates fly onto the screen and pound Magneto. He could never be defeated that easily and he quickly retalliated, his followers attacking my friends.

_"And the X-men are here to save the day once more! This is a major relief to all of us everywhere as we are sure now that the world will be safe from the metal menace. This is Tina White with today's top news and we will be back shortly for updates." _

The screen turned to some commercial for insurance but I didn't lower the volume. In fact, I was preparing a story to get out of this place and join my team mates. The screen said that the fight was taking place in downtown New York, only a few hours from here. They probably could use my help and I was sure they could use everyone they could get to fight Magneto. Logan wouldn't be much help in this fight seeing as though Magneto could turn him inside out. We would have to rely on Jean, Scott, and the Professor mainly. Kitty and Bobby could be of help, but they are more of the distraction types in a fight against Magneto. They would need air power, and that's where I would come in.

Just as I was about to leave, my father walks in the door and stares at me horrifically as he sees my body perched out the window, ready to jump. I stare right back, pushing my face into a determined glare as if daring him to say something. He would though. He couldn't resist.

When he finally processed what I was doing, he straightened up and asked the obvious, "Son, what are you doing?"

I rolled my eyes at him and his 'display of authority' "I was just about to leave so if you dont mind-"

"Not that way. If you need to go anywhere, you'll take one of my cars." he said sternly.

"No, I'm leaving this way. A car won't be very practical where I'm going. Besides, it's faster to go this way."

"Oh, no. You are not leaving to go put yourself on public display with those freaks!" he shouts, madly pointing at the TV.

The news was back on and it looked like the fight was pretty even. I could tell right now that it was not going to end well. Those fights never do.

"They're not freaks, they're my friends and they do more damn good for this world than you do!"

"No! They are abombinations who parade themselves around town, terrorizing people with their unnatural abilities. It isn't right and it isn't human. And then you have those freaks like this one with his followers who want to kill us all! Who wants to be like that?"

He was pointing at Magneto as he threw another car around. Storm caught it and threw it right back. There were dozens of screaming people standing by and they were caught right in the line of fire. This was not going well. I needed to get out of here.

I looked up at my father with determination my eyes. "In case you haven't realized this yet father, I am one of them." I was speaking loudly and firmly, causing him to tense up. "And you can't stop me from being who I am."

"Son..." he shook his head at me. "You're being irrational. You are much different than the rest of them. Your...disease...is controled and manageble. I didn't mean-"

"Save it. I know what you_ mean _and you're wrong. I'm not diseased. I'm a mutant and I am sorry that what I am makes you ashamed of me, that it makes you wish you didn't have a son." I shook my head and laughed. "You know, God forbid that your love for your only son take superiority over your image."

"Son, don't do this." my father said.

"Watch me."

And with that, I jumped out the window and sped off towards the freeway. That would be the fastest way to get to the city.

Against my better judgement, I looked back to see my father turn away and I knew that he was probably rolling his eyes in disgust.

**A Very Concerned Father**

I turned away from the window, my heart heavy. I knew I was never the best father, but he never even gave me a chance. He didn't understand. Not yet. Everything I had ever done was for him. I built up my empire so I could cure him. All I ever wanted to do was see my son live a normal, healthy life, and all he ever saw was a father who hated his son for who he was.

I never hated him. How could I? After his mother died, I was a wreck and he was always there beside me, giving me a reason to live again. I never wanted him to think I was trying to cure him because I was ashamed of him. I have never felt that way but I refuse to let him live his life as a vigilante mutant like those other freaks. That wasn't his future, he was meant to do greater things, to take over my empire when I was no longer here, but it was obvious now that he wanted nothing to do with me. I only wish I could make him see what I see.

I moved through the room and looked up at the TV. The commercials were still playing, some happy jingle was blasting through the room. I sighed, poured myself a scotch, and picked up the paper near the table. It was untouched, seeing as though we had just come back from a big business trip. I thumbed through the pages, looking at last nights scores. The Ravens had won again, crushing the Giants 27-13. Damn. I was so sure they would win this game. I guess that was another thing I was wrong about.

The channel switched off of commercials and back to the news. I didn't really pay attention as they went through the big fight downtown. I didn't want to see my son make a fool of himself.

I thumbed through more pages until something caught my ear. I looked up, my eyes widening as I stared at the headline in horror.

It said _EXPLOSION DOWN NEAR SHORTSTACK MOUNTAIN. ROCKY'S SHAKEN WITH LANDSLIDES._

I grabbed for the remote and turned up the volume even louder. The Channel 3 lady came on, a fake smile plastered on her fake tanned body. It was the middle of winter in New York, no one could possibly be that tan. She flashed a huge smile before proceeding with the story. I needed to know if something had happened down at my testing sites there. I hoped not. Those labs were only weeks old.

_"Hello, this is Tina White and welcome back to Channel 3 News! Today's story, a sudden explosion in the Rocky Mountains today is causing massive repercussions of earthquakes, rating up to 7.8 on the Richter scale, to surge through the West Coast. No one knows what caused this explosion, but some are blaming it on government testing." _

The screen cut to a man in a sweater, his face spun in a sour expression.

_"Yes, I have no doubt that the government is doing something out there. It would be the perfect place to do something you want no one else to know about. I believe they're responsible." _

The screen cut back to Tina and I held my breath, ready for what she was going to say next.

_"So far the government has stated that they are not responsible for the explosion but some of us still have our doubts. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the earthquakes are staying to the south of the Rocky's."_

I stopped listening and let out a huge sigh of relief. My labs were safe and there was nothing to worry about. I got up, happier than I was before, and was about to exit the room when another headline made me drop my glass, the cup shattering on the floor. My mouth dropped and I ran back in the room, not wanting to miss a second of this.

_"And in other news, the world mourns as news of the death of an international icon and hero has been revealed." _

A photo appeared on the righthand side of Tina's head. It was of a girl, about 15 years old with thick blonde hair and a tall stature. She actually looked pretty despite the fact that it wasn't a portrait photo and you couldn't really see her face.

_"Maximum Ride, an advocate for a green earth and worldwide hero, was killed by an unfortunate hiking accident in the Rocky's. Sources say there was a large, spontaneous rockslide that crushed her as she was too late to escape the falling boulders." _

The screen cut to a clip of the girl at a press conference about two years ago. She was speaking for a Green Comittee or something about saving the planet and some other things.

_"You can see here Ride about two years go at the national Green Conferece. Even at the start of her fame she served as a big influence on those around her and you can almost see the crowd swaying in her favor. She wowed the crowd the moment she stepped in and I think that's how we will always remember her."_

The screen cut back to Tina and some other man sitting at a table, both sporting ridiculous, bleach-white smiles.

_"You know Tina, Max wasn't just a Green Advocate, she also saved the world quite a few times." the man added, "Like that time in France."_

_"Right you are Tom. Let's roll the clip shall we?" _

The screen cut to a clip of Paris exploding, people screaming on the ground. Through the chaos, you could see a girl and a few others organizing people and rescuing others.

_"Would you look at that? Isn't that just amazing how she kept her calm? It's like she was born to be a leader." Tom marveled._

_"Yes, the world will miss her but what we really have to ask is how her friends are dealing with this? They wouldn't speak for interviews, but they have to be dying on the inside. And after all they had been through together..."_

_"I know I would be if I were them Tina. They just lost a freind and a leader."_

I stopped paying attention to the two reporters and stared at the video that was still rolling. I didn't care about the people running around or Paris falling, all I cared about was the girl in the middle and her friends. My eyes were horror-struck, my mind not comprehending what I was seeing. All I saw were the pairs of wings on each of their backs and the unmistakeable traits that defined the person most dear to me.

I rubbed my temples, trying not to scream. This was beyond bad, this was dispicable and sick and illegal. I knew I shouldn't have trusted them.

"What the hell have they done?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry I haven't been able to update as frequently as I can. I've been having a lot going on these past two weeks and this was honestly the last thing on my mind. But, I'm back now so, ENJOY!**

Chapter 10

**Max**

After flying for nearly two days, I found my first victim. It was a large ITEX facility in Northern New York, hidden by dense forestry miles off the beaten path. I don't even think the whitecoats that worked here could find this place every morning. It was almost impossible to see from the air and damn near impossible to sneak into, seeing as though there were armed guards at every entrance along with ID checks and DNA analyzers. It was hard if you weren't supernaturally gifted, that is.

A small smile crept up my face as I let myself fall from the tree which I was perched in and descend gracefully onto the soft ground, the leaves barely rustling at my feet. I got up with not even a whisper and snuck around the wooded area to get a better look at the facility in front of me. The first thing I analyzed was the barbed wire fencing with dozens of guards patroling every foot of its length. I stared at these strange men for a while, just running my eyes up and down their bodies, assessing their strengths and weaknesses along with their builds and weapons. Most carried huge automatic machine guns that they slung over their armored shoulders while others had variations of the same weapon.

These men puzzled me. Why would they volentarily agree to guard this place where so many illegal things are done to innocent children? They had to have noticed that this place was strange and they had to have picked up on their illegal activities. The only possible excuse or reason they would have in doing so is that it's in their job not to ask questions. They are supposed to stay there and do their job, no questions asked.

When I had my fill of these men, I surveyed the fence, my newly enhanced eyes immediately picking out every flaw and weak point in the structure. It took me a mere two minutes to divise a way to get into the facility without being spotted.

I gave the men one last glance before running across the woods and to the blind spot in the fence. I assessed its various layers and securities one last time before lifting off and flying over. I felt the immense power build up in my wings until they were released as I jetted up and over the fence in a single stroke. With my new powers, this was almost too easy.

Avoiding the guards, I made my way to the side doors, each one locked with its own DNA analyzer and voice recognition system. I frowned and used all my focus, directing it all to the padlocked doors. It only took a few moments before I knew it had worked. There was no pop or explosion, but I knew that the systems wouldn't be a problem. Surely enough, as I opened the door, it swung open without a budge. I smiled to myself. I was getting better at this.

Inside was a whole other story. As soon as I opened the door, I spotted two guards about fifty feet away and at least six more in the entire hallyway. This was not good.

I quickly looked around to find any doors or windows but was greeted with solid silver metal walls. I had the urge to punch one, but restrained it. It was either punch and die or don't punch and live. I chose to live, for now.

Looking around once again, I looked up to see a ventalation shaft. Perfect!

I slowly removed the cover telepathically and placed it softly on the aluminum floor. I then jumped up into the shaft and pulled the cover back onto the vent as fast as I possibly could. It made a slight squeaking sound, but not enough of one to draw any attention. I made myself almost hover over the vent floor so that I didn't make any noise and slowly pulled myself along. I passed control rooms, training centers, lounges, offices, and even a cafeteria before I got to the place I wanted to be at the most, the Control Hub.

I centered myself over the vent hole as I popped the cover from off the ceiling and set it down on the ground. I dropped down onto the floor shortly behind it, landing on the balls of my feet and gracefully pulling myself up. There was no one in the hub, which was wierd, and I guessed they were out on lunch break or something. Whatever. What they were doing didn't change the plan.

I headed over to the wall opposite me, the one covered in hundreds of monitors and buttons, each one concealing a deadly purpose. I scanned my eyes across each screen. I saw guards training in the gyms, in the shooting range. I saw lab techs running results through large machines and I saw whitecoats running blood samples through a centrifuge but what sickened me to the core was the screen that showed all the experiments the School had collected. I saw all of those poor, starved children in cages and immediately had flashbacks to my childhood. It was as if I was there instead of them. I shook my head and clenched my teeth.

"Those bastards." I hissed through my teeth.

I pounded my fist to the control pannel and was immediately hit back with an idea. I frantically ran my eyes across the various buttons, searching for one in particular. I found it merely moments later, but I decided not to push it. Not yet. I still had my real job left to do.

I cracked my knuckles and focused on the big monitor as I let my mind fly. I was able to crack the firewalls in mere moments and before I knew it, I was able to access every ITEX file on the server. I flipped through file after file of dry fact and came to realize that most of this hard drive was sheer import and export logs. There was nothing majorly important, but I decided to steal it, just in case. I grabbed one of the ridiculously big flash drives from the file cabinet and plugged it into the port, watching all the data from the computer flow onto the drive. It only took a few minutes and I watched the 100% download bar fill with pride. My first real victory.

There was no reason for me to stay here, but I still had something left to do. I went back to the button from before and pressed it down and almost immediately, all the kids were set free. I had disabled the alarms and the guards on the outside were completely unprepared for the flood of mutant children pouring out from the room behind them. They were crushed instantly by the mob and I couldn't help my smiling. I watched them scatter in all directions, toppling and running over bewildered guards. They obviously didn't have any idea what was going on and had even littler ideas on how to stop the kids. This was perhaps the most amusing things I had ever seen.

However, my fun ended when I finally heard the alarm sound and the sound of footprints grew increasingly louder and closer. I knew that I was going to be caught, that it was over but then I realized that I was invincible, and that what happened out in the desert was no dream. I could stand up to them this time so I squared my shoulders and leaned back against the monitor. Let them come. I am ready.

When the door finally did open, I was honestly disappointed at what I saw. It was nothing more than a few whitecoats and two armed guards. My look of discontent didn't phase them as much as the sheer fact that there was someone in their control room. I rolled my eyes. I wanted a challenge, not a scrimmage.

"Huh..." I sigh. "I guess I was expecting more..."

They still didn't say anything. We just kinda stood across form each other, me yawning the others gaping.

"What are you monkeys staring at? Haven't you ever seen a woman before?" I dragged on sarcastically.

They shook their heads and tried to look intimidating, but it was too late. They had already shown their weak, cowarding covers and I was going to eat them alive.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" the one whitecoat demanded. He was tall and scrawny, his glasses slightly crooked and his blonde hair was cut like a jar-head's. I looked up to meet his dark, beady eyes and the moment he looked upon my golden ones, he took five steps back, running into a table. I could tell I had scared him. Good. Now the fun can begin again.

"Me?" I asked, pointing to myself. "Oh, I'm no one important, just a...fan...of your work. And as to how I got in here, well, you left the front door open so I decided to sneak a peak at your latest freak."

"This is no time for fun and games. Are you a member of ITEX? A patrol officer or board manager?" the other whitecoat asked. He was more muscular and had a short frame. His eyes were brown and he had a thick head of hair to match. Honestly, he was no more intimidating than the other dweeb.

"No." I say shortly. "But you could say I am_ acquainted_ with some of ITEX's most important leaders."

I started towards the door, causing all the others to back up.

"I've seen and gotten what I needed, so I'll just be on my way."

I tried to head out the door but the two guards body bumped me back into the room.

"You really don't want to do that." I warned them, a grin spreading up my face.

"Oh, on the contrary, we do." The dweeb said.

"You are the only suspect we have as to who let all the experiments out, so you're not going anywhere." the other chimed in.

"No, what gave you that idea?" I spat sarcastically. "I did it, and you can't stop me. No one can."

"Is that so, well, I'm gonna let you know that I'm stopping you right now."

And that was my cue. As he reached for me, I focused on his body and sent that whitecoat flying across the room, his body bursting into a cloud of ash on the way down. The others looked at the wall, to me, the wall, and then back to me, staring in horror. All I did was grin. He deserved it.

The others, in a state of panic, rushed me, and they met the same fate as the first guy. They were all thrown around and burst open like a bag of gray confetti. For some sadistic reason, I was proud of myself at that moment, soaking up the glory that came with winning. I felt on top of the world.

I decided to finally leave and entered the halls. They were chaotic, the sirens wailing and the children screaming, crying, and dying all around. The guards had now bucked up enough strength to fight back, but that happened to be opening fire on innocent, scared children. I felt so mad again, the urge to fight unbearable. I clenched my fists together and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down.

I let the chaos run around me. I let the screams fill me, the sirens pulse through me. It all felt so surreal, like I was floating through suspended time, but when I opened my eyes, my mind moved in super speed. I was moving at unreal speeds, collecting all the kids and moving them out through a door I didn't even know existed. Only after my last trip through did I realize that I had ripped a hole through the wall and I didn't even feel a thing.

Then, it was just me and about a hundred guards. Oh, they made me all so sick. I wanted to kill every last one of them, so I did. I let my mind go and let the ashes build, the ashes of humans mixed with those of the surrounding furniture and walls. My mind was tearing down everything around it, causing a vortex of decay around me. When it finally lowered, I was standing alone in a bare patch of floor, no walls or ceiling for feet on end. I didn't know how much my mind could actually destroy, and I had a feeling that this wasn't even its full extent.

I was pulled out of my train of thought by the sound of clattering chairs and shuffling feet. I bolted upright and set off. All the children had already left and I was actually feeling pretty happy. I had saved those kids and recovered data from ITEX. I'd say that was a success.

I was just about to pull out of ITEX air when I felt a bullet graze my chin. It didn't do anything and I was absolutely furious at the person who shot it. Just as I thought, there was a whitecoat in an ITEX mini jet, shooting at me. It didn't even take me two seconds to come up with a comeback. The man's jets stopped working and it was convienietly aimed at the facility, crashing into its remains. The last I saw of that place was it's scattered reamins in a mushroom cloud behind me.

Oh. Today's a good day.

**Fang**

Today has been a crap ass day. It was another day of misery, fighting, and silence. I honestly think that this is how we are gonna be for the rest of our lives, old mopey men and women who still mourn the same loss every day. I'm over the mourning stage though. I'm more angry if anything at Max. Why the hell would she be stupid enough to stay under falling rocks? Or to go off for hours on her own? That was stupid and careless on her part.

I'm out on the balcony now, watching the sunset. I watched a sunset like this when I told Max goodbye over a year ago. Looking back, that was probably the stupidest thing I had ever done. I never should've pushed her away like that.

From what I could gather from everyone's muffled conversations and Angel's mind convos, was that Max was full on depressed up until two days before she died. Apparently, things got so bad that Nudge and Dylan had to imprison Max for her own safety and wellbeing. I know Max, and if it got that bad, I am afraid to ask how she was during that time but it doesn't matter now. She's dead. Why should I care how depressed she was? Can't fix a dead person.

I feel a warm draft and realize it's the heater from the inside. I think it's Angel telling me to come in so I wouldn't get a cold so I instinctively yell over my shoulder for her to go away and that I was fine. The last thing I wanted was a six year old on my case. Or was she seven now? I don't know...

"I'm not Angel." said a soft, raw voice. I turned to see Nudge all tired looking and wrapped in a woolen blanket. She had a sad expression on her face, her hair matted down with grease and dirt while her skin shone with the same consistancy.

"Sorry Nudge." I apologize incase I accidentally triggered some emotions. The last thing I need right now is waterworks.

"It's okay. I actually came out here to talk to you about Angel though." she said to the horizon. This might actually be the longest sentence I have heard her say in a while.

"What about her?"

"I...It's just...I feel that...she might be...uhhh...somehow...uhh..._involved _in...Max's death."

"What?" I couldn't really understand her with all of those pauses.

"I think that Angel knows something about Max's death, something that we don't." she said quietly, but still loud enough for me to hear.

"And why do you think that?"

"Because Max wasn't the only one who went missing. Dylan and Angel went missing around the time Max did too."

"So? They probably went on different trails and split up. Big deal."

"No, they came back right after the explosion happened, saying they had gotten lost and tried to find us. We tried to get them to tell us where they'd been, but Angel shut her mind closed and neither of them would say. They've been acting sketchy ever since."

"That does sound wierd...and a little too coincidental. Maybe Angel does know something."

"I'm sure she does." Nudge nodded firmly.

"Well, there's one way to find out." I say as I shake the dust off my jacket.

"What?"

"I'm gonna go find that cave. See if I can collect any evidence of Max's death. Wanna come with me?"

"Nah, I'm good here."

"Okay." I said as I stood up on the railings. I hadn't flown in a while. I hoped that I remembered how to do it.

"Fang, good luck."

Nudge wished me farewell before I set off into the evening, letting my blackness fade into the white fluff of clouds. I knew where I was going but I didn't know exactly where to look. Hopefully, I would find Max in that cave, wherever it was.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Angel**

I didn't know how and I didn't know why, but somehow Fang had escaped me over the past few days. Nothing gets under my nose, so either I wasn't paying attention or someone is on to me. It couldn't be the latter. I was beyond careful about the explosion and the clean up. I made sure that every one of Max's items was gone from the site. If anyone was looking around now, they'd be very disappointed.

As for the former thought, I was far too intelligent to let something like that slip by me. I would've stopped Fang from going. The last thing I need is a problem running around.

Despite my self- assurance, I decided it would be best if I consulted Dylan on the matter. It may pain me to say this, but sometimes I do need some help. I guess I'm still mortal, for now. If things go my way, I'll be the only supreme being on Earth and things always go my way.

"Dylan!" I called in my mind.

A jumble of images penetrated my mind as he rifled through his thoughts to gather a response. Some were happy, some were just plain disturbing, and some were so sad, that I had to look away. This guy was seriously conflicted, just as I thought.

Beyond that, I swear it took him ages to reply, and even then it was sluggish and monotonous. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

Did I really need his help?

I had to think that one through for a few moments. Yes. Even though he was slower and less effective as me, he was of some help.

"Yeah…"

"Can you come into the kitchen? We need to talk."

I heard a grumble from the end of the hall, a door open, and a door quietly shut before I heard the familiar pattern of his heavy footsteps. Every sound in the dark house was amplified, his steps sounding like earthquakes and his heavy breaths like tornadoes. It was a miracle everyone was still asleep by the time his messy, sleepy self appeared at the kitchen entrance.

"Angel?"

"Over here." I said aloud this time as I pointed to the seat of the kitchen table directly across from mine.

"Angel, do you have any idea what time it is?" Dylan said, obviously pissed off.

"Oh, suck it up. You act as if you've never pulled an all-nighter."

"Well, unlike you, I like to be asleep at 3:15 in the morning." He replied bitterly.

"Whatever. I don't care. The reason I called you down here was because we need to talk."

"Can't it wait until morning?"

"As you said, it is morning."

He sighed unhappily and slumped down into the chair, crossing his arms in front of him.

"What is it then?" he breathed out.

It was apparent that he was trying his best not to blow up at me. He may have had a straight face on, but his thoughts lingered in images of my death. I honestly found that funny, as if he had the power or skill to kill me!

"Well, as you may know, our little friend Fang has given us the slip."

"Really?" Dylan sat up a little straighter, pondering the statement. "That would explain why I didn't see him around yesterday…"

"Yes, well, I have no idea where he's gone or what he knows. And as for the getting out, I don't know how I wouldn't have seen him leaving? I have been keeping a close eye on everyone since the event, making sure they don't know anything and making sure especially that they never find out. How Fang would've left is honestly beyond me."

Dylan stayed quiet for a few minutes and the suspense was literally killing me. I needed to hear a response of some kind, even if it was a laugh or one of his stupid jokes.

"Well, what do think is going on?" I demanded.

"Well, I have an idea…but you're not going to like it."

"Give it to me." I said in a straight face. Any idea at this point was a good one. I needed to know why I was failing.

"Well, someone could've blocked your mind long enough to give Fang enough time to leave without being noticed."

"I would've sensed it. Besides, my mind has been open the whole time. There was no interference."

"Well, what if they only cut off access to part of your mind? A part that you weren't fully paying attention to at the time…"

"I still would've felt it. The only thing that could make that possible is…another…telepath."

I looked up at Dylan with genuine concern in my eyes. We were both thinking the same thing. We were all still developing our powers and abilities. What if one of us also developed telepathy? That would change everything. Within moments, someone could find out everything we have done, and I wouldn't even know it, that is to say if they hadn't already found out.

"Is it even possible?" I asked in a low, hushed whisper.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't outlaw it." Dylan said as he rubbed his temples.

We looked at each other, dread filling both of our eyes.

"What if someone found out? What if it was Fang! We haven't seen him in a year! Who knows what he can do now?" I gasped, fear clenching my heart.

"Shhhh! Calm down!" Dylan hissed at me. "We'll wake them up and they just went to sleep!"

I nodded, still panicking.

"I don't think it was Fang. Otherwise, he would've already killed us for killing Max." Dylan said slowly after a few moments.

"Yeah…but what if it's one of the others?"

"I don't know. This doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't they have done anything by now if they knew what we did?"

"Maybe they're not because they don't know they have telepathy!"

"What? How do you not know that you have telepathy?"

"It took me years to realize I could read people's thoughts and it took me months more to actually influence them. If this is a new development, then the carrier probably doesn't know what's happening. All that they probably have is a bad feeling or a sixth sense at this point. It'll take months for the telepathy to fully sink in."

"Are you sure?"

"Almost positive. It was a study I helped in at the School a few years back. I can't believe I forgot about that!"

I got up and started to rant on and on about telepathy until Dylan got up and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Okay. We both need to calm down. Just, take a breather."

I came down off my high and nodded slowly. We both took a seat and didn't say anything for minutes on end. My mind was racing, listening to the sounds of our ragged breaths. We sounded like we were running a marathon, but I swear my mind was. That was absolutely the last thing I expected and it was possibly the worst thing that could've come up. I would have to contact the School now, and I know how much I _loved_ doing that.

"What should we do now? Contact the School? Run while we still have the chance?" I asked.

"No." Dylan said firmly. "We should pretend this never happened. The School has no reason to know and as long as we are cool around the flock, they won't suspect anything's changed. Don't worry. We'll find the telepath soon enough and then, we'll end him where he stands."

"I like that plan." I smirked, getting back my confidence bit by bit. "And what about my mind?"

"For now, keep it closed and on high alert. Make sure you are checking up on people double time as well. We don't need any other unnessicary complications."

I smiled up at Dylan.

"I'm proud of you. I guess I really did train you well."

"Well, I did learn from the best."

"Yes." I agreed. "You did."

I kicked back my legs and let out a low laugh. I didn't know why I was so worked up. This problem was merely a road bump, a bump that was soon to be squashed.

**Max**

As I leaned over my coffee, I couldn't help but to laugh over everything, over the Itex center, over Angel and Dylan, and even over my own mortality. It was scary how all of this was becoming less and less important to me. I didn't care that I had a job to do, that my best friend was a backstabbing traitor, and the fact that I was dead. It was all one big joke and it honestly doesn't feel real. All that feels real is the pure joy and euphoria I get from destroying things.

It was that fact in particular why I was laughing. It wasn't nessicarily out of happiness, but out of fear. I was afraid of the monster I was turning into. All I cared about was tearing things to shreds, breaking people apart, and gloating in the wreckage. The rush of adrenaline and the high that destruction gave me was so pure yet so purely terrifying. I was a creature of destruction, and I was afraid that in the end, that was all that there would be to define me.

I shook my head and sighed, calming myself down to minimize attention. Over the past few weeks, I was becoming a master of disguise.

I had perfected a system of hiding my golden locks and eyes. After raiding my last ITEX headquarters, I took the liberty of raiding their bank accounts, transferring it all to a private account in a Jane Doe account. The Swiss didn't mind that much. They obviously got that a lot. With my new riches, I bought myself some new clothes and shades dark enough to cover all the gold. My wings were extremely flexible and virtually disappeared beneath my clothes while I pulled my hair up into a braid and hid it under an oversized ski cap. With my shades on top, I was virtually unnoticeable as I travelled from small town to smaller town.

And that was how I ended up in a shady old bar in the outskirts of Delaware. The tables were sticky and it smelled of cheap booze and vomit. It was obvious the place had seen better days, but now, it was the perfect place to hide away.

I looked up through the blackness of the glasses to see the bar waitress turning up the TV for the guy in front of her. Besides me, there were five people in here, a truck driver, an old guy, and three cops shooting the shit and messing around with each other's stuff. I hope that they weren't drunk enough to start playing with guns, but who knows.

I heard the CNN theme on the screen diagonally from me and I discreetly turned my head in its direction. Some overly dressed up broad was on screen next to some old petifile-ish man, both looking intensely into each other's eyes. I couldn't hear the words, but I could read lips, and right now, they were talking about me.

The old man was mouthing about the explosion in New York. Apparently there was nothing left from the wreckage and they said that nothing was known to be there.

Yeah, right.

Then, they rolled a clip of the explosion. It was grainy and nearly minutes after the initial impact, but it was still clear as day to me. Memories kept on coming back and I couldn't stop the joy that ran through my body. It felt so good to know that those bastards were gone and would never hurt anyone ever again. It made it even better that I was the one to do it but somewhere in the back of my mind, I was clinging to sanity and it was saying that I killed those people. I knew killing was wrong, but I just couldn't see it now. There was a battle raging within me, and the monster was winning.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Max**

I had officailly lost count of just how many lives and places I had destroyed. I'm guessing the number is in the double digits, seeing as though it's only been a few days and I've already been up, down, and back up the Eastern Seaboard. Now that I've been places, the world doesn't seem that big. It's actually pretty small and the more I travel, the smaller it gets.

At some point in my journey, I found my way back to upstate New York and conveniently stumbled upon another ITEX headquaters. I swear these things grow like weeds, you chop one down and five more pop up. Needless to say, when I saw the building and the all too familiar barbed wire fence, the monster inside me roared to life, pushing me into the backseat while anger and rage took the wheel.

So, here I was, perched in a tree, scanning the area before hopping the fence like I do every time. The guards are exactly the same and so is the layout, save for a few minor details. I've been in enough of these hell-holes now that I could probably get in blindfolded, but this one seemed different. There was something about the securtiy that put me off.

There seemed to be double the armed guard than usual and the building layout seemed to be tweaked just small enough to go unnoticed, but not by me. It almost seemed as if the building was pulling extra power into the generator from a far away source. From my senses, it seemed to be pooling under the ground.

My rational and careful behavior went out the door when the beast suddenly decided it was tired of waiting. Without my full knowing, I was lifted swiftly and powerfully into the air, leaping over the fence in one wing-stroke. My landing was kind of rough, seeing as though I was dazed and not fully aware of what I was doing. My body had a nasty habit of doing what it wanted now adays, and it was really frustrating to control.

I steadied myself and quickly sprinted over to the main hanger door, careful not to be seen. I waited until it was clear to go and hit the steel door at its hinges, the only visible weak spot I could find. My fist literally left a dent, crumpling the metal, and that was barely even a punch from me these days. I could swear I was getting stronger by the day.

The door fell with barely a sound as I gently lowered it onto the thick, green grass. I immediately went inside and assessed the security. Five armed guards on my left, five on the right, two dead ahead. The hall was decked out with security cameras, sensors, and the huge, automatic weapons that the guards carried. Piece of cake.

I hovered over the ground and stuck close to the wall. I first blew out all the securtiy cameras and sensors before locating the standard ventalation shaft in the main hall. I looked up, and there it was, as usual. If it wasn't for the location, this would be some serious deja vu. I jumped up and ripped the cover off the shaft and pulled myself through with barely a whisper, shutting the shaft behind me. Not one of the guards looked up, not one of them even knew I was there.

I crawled through the maze of tunnels and vents, taking the usual right, left, left, right, straight, right and was there in a matter of minutes. This was all getting seriosly boring to me but not to the creature within. I could feel my adrenaline pumping, but it wasn't feeding me, it was feeding the beast who was becoming more and more tense as we reached the vent that lead us to the data room.

I dropped the cover, letting it fall with a crash. The room was soundproof and no one would be around it. It was used as storage, only visited when someone needed a file or a really old data sheet. It was also probably the worst place to keep a super computer with every ITEX secret and data log on it so that any intruder could take a peak. But then again, they probably wouldn't expect anyone to make it past all of their security and traps. They seriously underestimated peoples' abilities, especially mine.

Not bothering to replace the vent cover, I dropped down to the linolium floor, letting my boots hit hit the ground with a light clang. I slowly got off the balls of my feet, taking the time to stretch and roll my shoulders out. All the vent crawling was making me tense up.

With a crack of my neck, I got to the hard drive at a liesurely pace; there was no need to rush, no one even knew I was there. I looked down at all the gages and buttons and flashing lights. They all seemed to be angrily yelling at me, blinding me with bright colors and beeping sounds. After a few seconds, after I'd had enough of the noise, I put my hands to the control panel and started working at it, pressing all the same buttons I had before and with the flip of a few switches, the flashes stabalized and the sounds cut off. I heard a light thrum from the large computer beneath and knew that it was processing. Within a few moments, I would know more of ITEX's secrets.

I saw the monitors light up and a few seconds later, the main screen exploded with blue and black file outlines, all flowing across to the other screens there were so many. I let my eyes run across them, taking in all the numbers and dates. I knew this was more logs, so I decided to plug in another one of my flashdrives, letting all the information flow from the hard drive onto the tiny piece of plastic and metal.

A loading bar popped up on the side and I watched the bar fill slowly but surely, but as soon as the bar popped up, another set of files took center stage. They must've been recently accessed because they were already opened, the data pages flipping from one to the other. The strange thing about these files were that they had pictures, and what was stranger was that I recognized the people in them.

They were of us.

The flock, I meant. There was the picture I found with Fang in that house of Gazzy as a baby. There was a photo of a woman with jet black hair and olive skin that looked like Fang. There were lots more, all moving like a slide show but my eye stopped on one in particular. It was a photo of my mom in a white lab coat standing next to Jeb. She was smiling and must've been years younger. Jeb looked younger too, and even almost good looking without his facial hair, but it was what was in between them that drew my attention. There was a toddler girl with flaxen blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. She had a slight tan to her skin and her eyes sparkled with a deep brown light that moved all the way to her blindingly white, dimpled smile.

It was me.

I didn't understand. Why was there a picture of me with my mother? I wasn't at the school and I think I would've remembered a moment like that one. I would've remembered meeting my mother before. There was also the fact that I didn't have wings in this photo. I also didn't get why there were pictures of the flock, of their parents. I flipped back to the picture of Fang's mom. She couldn't be more than 16 but she was gorgeous. Fang had inherited all of her best traits like her Italian hair and eyes, both dark and beautiful. I couldn't see how tall she was, but she looked like the male equivalent of Fang. His equivalent, except for the nose. Maybe he had inherited it from his father. If only he could see this...

I closed all the pictures and clicked to add the files to the download list. I would have to read them some other time, sometime when I wasn't inside an ITEX building.

Just as the bar was hitting 90%, I heard a large clatter followed by a massive amount of footsteps headed my way.

"Shit!" I whispered to myself. I must've been discovered. It was the only explanation.

I looked back to the monitor. It only read 93%. I didn't have time to wait.

"Come on. come on." I pleaded at the flashdrive.

The footsteps seemed to split, one half going left, the other still charging straight towards me.

I heard them, although I only caught clips of what their deep, angry voices were saying. It was something involving a malfunction and a generator and the computer mainframe.

The monitor dinged, breaking my concentration, and I saw the 100% complete bar light up the screen. I ripped the drive from the port and flipped every switch on the control panel, causing the computer to beep and flash and scream wildly at me. They all did the same thing when they were overloading.

I turned my head back to the door and heard the ever growing sound of footfalls. I knew I had to go, now, so I jumped up at lightning speed and flew back through the vents, not caring to replace the cover.

Suddenly, I heard an alarm sound, along with the angry voices of men below me. The vents started to close on me, passages were being sealed with heavy iron walls. I swerved violently back and forth through the maze of tunnels, trying not to be crushed or heard, both at which I was failing at. I was so caught up in escaping that I didn't even realize that I had cornered myself in a dead end. I thought I was going to die again, cursing my stupidity, until I saw a vent off to the side. I didn't have much time, but I shot to it and crashed right through the opening, breaking the cover and falling hard onto the cold, linolium floor.

I got up quickly, ignoring the pain in my side, and jumped to a defensive position. I was expecting dozens, if not hundreds of armed guards to be waiting to kill me, but all I found was an empty room filled only with machinery and a very loud alarm. In fact, I think all the men were actually running away from this place and I didn't know why until I turned around.

There was a huge piece of machinery, it almost looked like a generator of sorts, that was steaming and producing some kind of visible raiation that was causing all the other machines to follow suit. This had to be what the men were talking about when they were coming to the door. It wasn't me they were after, it was the computer. Somehow the computer had overworked the generator, and I was pretty sure that it was going to explode.

I had to get out of there, but the more I looked, the more an escape route seemed less and less likely. Then, a whole squad of guards busted through the sealed doors carrying a bunch of hoses and anti-radiation suits. It took them a few seconds to see me, but it was a few seconds too late. I had already begun running towards the door, and by the time they could do anything about me, I was already gone, zooming down the halls, blazing past startled guards and frantic whitecoats.

I was almost homefree when I felt a sharp sting in my back and then another on my side. I fell down and skidded to a stop on my side near the main hallway. I looked back to see what it was that hurt me, what had gotten me to bleed. I turned and saw a large man with a very large, but unfamiliar gun pointed at me. It was oddly shaped and not at all what you would expect a gun to be, but there I was, shot twice with some strange bullet powerful enough to pierce my skin.

He smirked at me and fear gripped at my chest. I clumsily got up and started running again but all he did was fire another round in my direction. This time, one hit my shoulder, the others barely missing. I bit my tounge and screamed on the inside. That one hurt like a bitch and the pain from the other two was only growing.

The guy was getting closer and I was growing weaker. I had no choice, I released the monster that was dying to fight in the hopes that she could save me, but she immediately raised hell. The man and his gun were disinegrated in a matter of seconds along with the entire hallway. I could feel myself losing control and quickly reigned her back in. She didn't let go easily, but I won in the end. I won, but at the cost of my remaining energy.

I knew I had to get out of here. I could feel the generator building up deadly energy and I had no intentions of being here when it blew.

As if I wasn't already wiped out, I dug up the scant amounts of energy I had left and bolted up and far away from the building. Just a few moments later, I heard the sound of a boom and felt the intense heat of the explosion. It singed my clothes and my hair and even the tips of my wings. I shrieked. The pain eating at my soft flesh was too much and I started falling.

No. I couldn't die. Not like this. I bit down on my tongue, on my cheeks, and I tasted the salty, rusty taste of blood in my mouth as I forced myself to fly straight. Each second was like a year, each one going by in agonizing slowness and pain. I knew I couldn't endure this forever. I knew I had to find somewhere to go, somewhere to land and be safe.

As if it were a God-send, a city popped up over the trees, the buildings rising in the distance. I flew as fast as I could to get to the city, my wings pumping against the pain, using energy I didn't even know I had left. I was almost to the city when I was blindsided by a heavy wind and the unmistakeable sound of helicopter blades. I shielded my eyes and looked up to see the NYPD shine spotlights on me. Soon, three more helicopters joined the first, creating a perimeter around me.

I didn't know how it happened, but I was able to escape their circle, nearly missing the same bullets that hit me earlier, the bullets that were aimed to kill. I jetted off below them with a new pain hitting my calf, no doubt one of those bullets had found me, and desperately tried to flee.

My flying turned clumsy. I was weaving and swerving, nearly running myself into the rising skyscrapers as I hit the city. I was flying blind, my eyes burning with tears and metal dust. The loud hum of the blades against the wind cut through my ears and the sun seemed to beat down on me with a cruel heat. I could feel myself falling, but I knew I had to run. I still had a job to do.

Somehow, I forced myself forward, desperately trying to outrun the ever gaining copters. I knew there were more bullets to come if I stayed so I purposely swerved, hoping that I would shake them. I flew through every alley and back corridoor I could find, but it didn't seem to do any good. They were always one step ahead of me.

I started getting sloppy again, my focus and will fading by the second.

_Let them take me. _I thought wearily_. Let them put me out of my misery, out of my unnatural existance._

I was about to lose all faith when I heard the helicopters close in on me once more. I heard the sirens below me wail and the unmistakeable sound of multiple loaded arms echoed around me. I knew I was a gonner and I braced for the worst, but suddenly, I saw something white out of the corner of my eye. It was more than white, it was radiant and coming straight towards me though I didn't think it was coming for me either. It didn't matter, it dazed the copters long enough to give me a few moments to escape.

I jetted as far away from them as possible as I flew down another alley. I soared through the back ways as I bit down harder on my cheeks, ignoring the pain building up in me. I only had a matter of moments before I collapsed for good but I couldn't, not unless I wanted to be destroyed again. I swerved for ages and my wings ached along with every bone in my body. I wanted, no, I needed the pain to stop. I couldn't afford to be weak, not now.

When I finally got back to the main roads, I thought I might've been losing it when I saw the white thing again and I desperately prayed that I hadn't just gone in a circle. I didn't see any helicopters and I didn't hear any sirens close by. All I saw was the growing whiteness and as my sight started to fail me, I saw that whiteness take shape.

It started growing arms, legs, a head, and a body. It was obviously human, and male judging by the build, but there was something about him that I couldn't quite comprehend.

He had wings. Wings as white as snow, white with faint silver tips that caught the sun in a dazzling light. He wore a plain white, button down shirt and khaki's; his hair was the color of golden wheat and his eyes, even though I was feet away, shone of a deep blue.

The only reason I knew what his eyes looked like was because they immediately went wide as soon as he saw me. His face went pale and I swore he almost fell from the sky. I couldn't understand why he was staring, and I really didn't care why. I didn't care who or what or why he was. All I knew was that he had wings and he could help me. All I **wanted** was for him to help me, but he just hovered there for what seemed like years, staring me down before uttering out a few strangled words.

"No." he whispered, his voice deep and thick. "What has he done?"

Now that I heard him, his expression looked more horrified to me now, as if he were looking at a ghost.

I felt light-headed and I knew I was going to drop like a stone. Tears welled in my eyes and I let out a strangled cry.

"Please..."

It was all I could get out before I started to fall. Through the cracks of my eyes, I could see him reaching for me, fear and worry streaking his pained face, and I could tell he was looking past whatever he had seen before. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to see much more. His strong arms were the last things I felt and his stony face was the last thing I saw before I finally succumbed to the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so I spent all day frantically trying to finish this chapter cuz I'm not going to be able to write for a week or so and I really wanted to close this tiny bit up. There's still lots to come and I hope you guys like it. Keep Reading! :)**

Chapter 13

**Fang**

I had been flying non-stop for three days now and I still hadn't found the explosion site. I was beginning to lose hope that I ever would. The desert mountains just seemed so vast and I knew they were always changing. It was a foolish for me to think I could find that place.

It's not really, that I wanted to find the place, but more like I **needed** to. I had to find some sort of evidence that someone had purposely killed Max. I was no fool. I knew Max was not stupid enough to let her guard slip long enough to be crushed by rocks. Someone must've pushed her or tricked her or something. Max was murdered, and Nudge seemed to think Angel had something to do with it. I'm not saying don't I agree, but I'm not ruling her out just yet. The kid was seriously demented.

I thought more about who the killer might be as I flew over the bluffs. All the options running through my mind seemed very unlikely, the next much more unrealistic than the one before. I was afraid I was running into a dead end.

No. I couldn't. I promised Nudge that I would find some proof of foul play and I promised myself a long time ago that I would protect Max, no matter what. She may be dead, but I could at least protect her legacy, her dignity and dying under a rock slide is not how Max would've went down. I knew her. She went down fighting. That's the only way she knew how.

I turned around the edge of the northern flats when something white caught the very corner of my eye. I slowed and turned my head to the far eastern ridge, and on a barely visible flat, I saw the white thing poking out, billowing in the sharp, winter winds.

I quickly raced to the white thing, winds biting at my skin, hoping it was what I was looking for and when I got there, my jaw dropped.

The entire flat had been blown away, leaving a giant crater in the center of the mountains. There were scortch marks everywhere, like an explosion had went off in there.

No wonder I hadn't been able to see it! It was so far deep in the Earth, nearly invisible and clearly disguised by the mountains. But something about this crater didn't seem natural. The scortch marks were oddly placed. This crater was blown away on purpose.

I slid down the edge of the crater, letting my shoes skid on the smooth rock, until I reached the crumbly ground at least 300 feet below the nearest cliff edge. I paced around, moving slowly forwards, until I tripped over something metal.

I picked it up and placed it in the faint sunlight. It shown to be a pole of sorts, probably the kind used in tents or something.

Is this the place where they were camping?

As I walked around some more, I realized that the ground was covered in a thin layer of ash. It was fine, the color deep gray and it was everywhere, even the walls. There were various cloths and technical devices destroyed past recognition scattered across the floor as well. This was obviously not a campground. It was more like a war zone.

I was almost about to investigate further when something else stuck out. It was a cave or a tunnel that seemed to wierdly project itself from the mountain side. I looked up and saw, about 400 feet up, another cave, no doubt the same one. Someone must've crafted an exit out in the crater. But why?

I took a few steps towards it when an object on the ground caught the first beams of moonlight and shone into my eyes. It burned and I had to cover my eyes for safety. I reached down and carefully picked up the tiny, glinting object, holding it between my fingers. It was a ring, small, but not too feminine and one that I had definately seen before.

It was the one I gave Max for her birthday nearly two years ago. I would recognize it anywhere, the detail was all too familiar and it was permanently attatched to my memories of Max, her smiling face as she put it on, her lips on mine, that passionate kiss, her own way of saying thank you.

I shook my head, trying to block out the memories too painful to relive. I shoved the ring deep into my pocket and flew up and out of the crater as fast as I could. I wanted to get as far away from that place as possible.

I had the ring now, it wasn't evidence, but it was something and I now knew where the place was. We could always go back. Back to the place Max died.

**Max**

_I was flying, flying high and free touching the clouds. I was normal too, my hair and wings and eyes all as they should be. There was no pain, no fear, no monsters here. All I felt was free and happy. _

_Then, the clouds turned to fire, burning my hands. I felt pain everywhere. I was falling and all I heard in my head was the laugh of one sick, twisted seven year old mocking me as I spiraled towards my death._

I shot straight up in bed, my golden hair whipping across my face, my breathing heavy. I frantically scanned the room, unknowing of where I was. It seemed as if I was in a bedroom with white-washed walls and neutral furniture. There was a large bay window to the side, but that gave me no clue as to where I was. The only door was on the opposite side of the room.

I tried to run out of bed, but there was a jerk in my arm. There was a needle inside my elbow that was attached to a clear bag next to the bed. I knew it was an IV, but I panicked and so did the monster. My mind was going a hundred miles a minute, all my body was on overdrive.

I was so busy freaking out over the needle, one that I knew held no threat, that I didn't hear the door open and the running gate of footsteps coming right at me. I felt someone gently take hold of my arms and I immediately relaxed some. The arms laid me back down and I turned so I could see who they belonged to.

It was the guy who had saved me.

So, he was real. I had thought I was dreaming up a guardian angel the entire time, but no. This man was real, every inch and every muscle of him was real.

He looked even more gorgeous up close, his eyes seemed to sparkle with light, his dimpled smile was almost irrestiable. He was such a good looking guy: muscular, tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. He seemed like your average, everyday superstar, except for the one thing he was hiding.

He had wings, and even though he wasn't showing them, I knew he had them. They were probably under his giant coat or something.

When I finally peeled my eyes off of him, I looked down at myself, assessing the damage I did. Shockingly enough, I had no wounds. My body looked as good as new.

The guy let his hands go of me and let me sit up. I flexed my hands, arms, and shoulders. I stretched my back and legs out, feeling no pain what so ever. I was really confused. I was supposed to be seriously hurt, not in prisitine condition.

Obviously, my expression must've given away my thoughts because the guy shook his head and laughed a strange laugh, one that was probably more of confusion and fear than anything.

"Yeah...you healed really fast. I wasn't really expecting that, given your condition."

I looked up at him with my face in confusion as well. "How?"

"I don't know. After I removed the barbs, you healed in record time, in minutes actually."

"The barbs?"

He got up and showed me a disk full of tiny wires and miniature harpoon looking things. "Barbs."

"Those were in me?"

"Going into you. You have very tough skin, but these things are meant to cut through anything."

"Yeah...normal bullets can't touch me, but these..."

"They're a new kind of mutant weapon, made to slow us down and immobilize us by freezing our powers."

"But mine still worked?"

"The barbs need to reach the muscle to be able to do anything. The arrow got to the muscle, but the barbs, those wires, only got to the skin."

I looked at those in disgust and turned my focus away from them. "How do you know so much about them?"

He laughed another, more cynical laugh. "My father is the man who invented them."

My eyes bugged out and I scooted away from him. All he did was laugh his dark laugh. "Don't worry. I'm nothing like that man. I never will be."

The way his face turned so dark when he spoke about his father scared me, but I trusted him. He saved my life. I slowly loosened my muscles and relaxed again.

"So," He said, jumping up and putting the barbs back on the far table. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

I stared at him, apprehensive to tell him. I trusted him, but I also knew nothing about him. My face stayed guarded, and he could tell.

"Or not, it's all good." he held his hands up as if in surrender.

I couldn't stop staring at his back now, and I couldn't help wondering where his wings were, the curiousity was too much. I must've said it aloud because he just kind of looked at me, his face white for a split sceond before looking away and coming back with a smile. He shrugged his jacket off, and I saw his wings bound back by his shirt and something else underneath.

I cocked my head to the side as I looked curiously at them. They must've been at least a foot longer than mine and even through his shirt you could see their silver tips and the unrelenting whiteness. The only thing I didn't get is why they weren't pulled back like mine.

"And where are yours?" he asked tenitively.

I got up and undid my IV carefully so that I didn't bruise my viens. I didn't need it anyway. I didn't know why I was doing this, but I really did trust him and he did have the courage to show me his wings. It was only fair that I repaid the favor to the man that saved my life.

I slowly unfolded my wings, exposing the radiant gold colored feathers that lined my back. I saw him gasp and then quickly try to regain composure but his eyes stayed wide.

"This isn't how they usually look." I said in a low voice. "I've been going through a few...changes, and... anyway, usually they are brown and cream colored and a bunch of other shades of brown..."

I didn't know why it was hard to find the words to say in front of this man. It was very unusual and I felt very awkward.

"No, it's okay..." he said. "This is...just a lot to take in."

The rubbed his cheeks up and down the way you do when you are trying to think or believe something you can't but it's right in front of you. I could tell that he was very confused.

"Who are you? One of Dr. Hans's new freaks?" I asked.

He looked up at me, eyes wide, but then he smiled and laughed. It was a different laugh, a happier one, a relieved one.

"No. I'm not a test tube experiment. My name is Warren Worthington and it would be very nice if I could learn your name."

He smiled at me as if I had just said something that made believing things a lot easier, as if everything made much more sense now.

"Maximum Ride, but all my friends call me...I mean they used to call me Max."

I kept on forgetting I was dead. I don't have any friends anymore.

"Maximum Ride." he said, his face very firm as if he was thinking. "I've heard of you. Peace keeper, Green advocate. You save the world right?"

I nodded my head, but then his face twisted into something else.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

There it was. The question I was waiting for.

"Well, that's...complicated...and I don't think you'd believe me."

He smiled again. "Alright. But answer me this, why did you think I was an experiment?"

"Because I was one; my flock and I were all experiments."

"And you think since I have wings, I have to be an experiment?"

"Well, yeah. It's the only way..."

His expression was making feel like he was holding something in, like he knew something I didn't.

"Huh, no wonder the barbs didn't affect you. You're not a mutant"

"What?"

"No, don't get me wrong, you're a mutant, it's just that you're not the kind of mutant those barbs were made to harm."

"What other kind of mutant could there be? You're either human or mutant as far as I know!"

"My kind of mutant." he said lowly.

"_Your_ kind of mutant?" I asked, skeptically.

"Yes, my kind of mutant, the kind that is born with the mutation, not genetically engineered to be so."

"What? How is that even possible?"

"It's possible, we are just very good at staying hidden." he said slowly "Most of my kind wouldn't even dare to come out in public like you and your friends did. The only reason the government doesn't hunt you guys is because you are working for them in one way or another."

I shook my head. This was absolutely crazy.

"So you were born with wings?"

"I wasn't born with them, my genes mutated so that I would grow them later in life. I was about seven or eight when they started growing. They stopped about last year, when I was 19."

"So, how can I have wings if I wasn't born with them? Did the psychopaths that did this to me just shoot up some random animal genes and shove them into me and hope it stuck?" I seriously prayed that wasn't it. I honestly wouldn't put that past them.

"No. I know what happened now. It's the only way that you are like the way you are."

"What is it?"

"My father noticed early on that I was mutating and he wanted to get rid of it, being the self-centered, bigoted mutant hater he is. He had me go through various tests with various labs including his own. They took blood samples and studied my mutation for months. When they were through, they said they couldn't cure me, that my DNA was too far corrupted with avian genes but they said something about modifications, improvemmnets that could be made. My father didn't like that and demanded that the tests be returned to him along with the samples they took. We thought that they had given all the tests back, but we never fully trusted them, even in the beginning. They must've kept some; they must've done their own experiments, modified experiments." He looked at me with careful eyes.

"This is crazy! Do you know how crazy you suond right now?" I yelled, but he cut me off.

"I knew that those guys were creepy from the start, their white coats and demented stares. I felt like I was in a house of horrors." He shook his head and my eyes started bugging. "You know, sometimes I can still smell that place, an awful smell of bleach and something else...something...I can't place it..."

"Death." I whispered "You could hear it too..."

He looked at me and I looked straight back.

"How many of you are there? How many did they make?" he asked blankly.

"Seven, including Dylan, but he's not an original."

"And you all have your own special powers, and wings?"

"Yeah...but..."

"And was the name of the place you were created at called ITEX?"

His questions were becoming more and more urgent, but the puzzle was falling into place.

"Yes, but I wasn't _created_." I said, slightly offended and shaking. "I was a person before they did this to me."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and shook his head. I sat down right next to him and did the exact same thing. This was way too strange. I knew I was a mutant freak, but I didn't know I was a clone of a mutant freak. This must've been a hundred times freakier for him. Only a few days ago he was the only one and now he had seven clones of himself running around. I really felt bad for him.

"No, we're not clones." He said as if reading my mind. "The only part they used was my avian DNA, which, if memory serves, is about 2%."

He looked at me, but I didn't look back. "Yeah," I whispered.

"Unfortunately, that 2% does contain a little bit of my DNA, so you guys probably do have some of my traits."

I thought about the picture of Fang's mom and how her nose was different. I looked at Warren and, lo and behold, it was the same nose Fang had, right down to the way it scruched when he smiled. Suddenly, this guy wasn't so crazy.

"Okay, if we share some DNA, where's the you in me?"

He studied my face for a minute looking very amused. After searching my entire face, he gave up.

"I don't know. Maybe you have some of my character traits instead?" he smiled.

I laughed. This guy wasn't so bad. I guess we were both trying to make the best out of an awkward situation.

"Now that I've told you about my family, do you want to share aything about yours?"

"Well, I don't really have a family. I mean, I have a mom, but I don't live with her or my younger sister. I actually only recently met them. I've only known them for a few years now but I love them a lot. They're great" I looked down, avoiding his intense gaze. "As for my dad, well, we have issues. I've known him all my life, but I've only recently known he's my father and he's done a lot of bad crap to me and my friends. We're kinda on the out and out and I have no interest in getting to know him any more than I already do, which is a traitorus whitecoat."

"A whitecoat?"

"Sorry, it's the term my flock uses for the scientists who caged us and did tests on us all our lives."

"Geez...I'm sorry...If I had any idea..."

"It's okay. We made it, and it's only made us tougher."

"I can tell. You have some seriously strong will. I thought you were going to die when I first brought you back here, but you sure proved me wrong, and usually I am very good at predicting things."

I smiled at him."Thanks. And where is here, exactly?"

"Oh, it's my home. You are now a guest at the Worthington Estate in Worchester New York. We have two others in New York, but this is my favorite one"

"Whoa. Fancy." I smiled. "Is your dad here?" I asked a little bit worried.

"No." he said, a slight scowl crossing his face. "He's at some big, important business meeting in San Fransisco for the next week."

I nodded and looked out the window. The sky was turning a bright orange streaked with pinkish hues and purple streams. It looked almost exactly like the one I had seen with Nudge and Dylan not so long ago. I sighed and looked away.

"Hey," Warren said softly, "Do you have a picture of your parents? Of your friends?"

I could tell he was trying to cheer me up and I smiled.

"Yeah." I said, nodding my head. "I do."

I pulled out the drive from my pocket and looked around.

"Do you have a laptop or something?"

"Yeah. Wait here." He said as he got up. I heard him quietly get up, leave, and return nearly moments later with a very advanced looking computer.

"Wow. What is this?" I asked in admiration.

"The new PC's. They're not even out on the market yet, but I have my ways." He said with a smile. "This thing can do almost anything and has triple the memory and speed."

"Cool." I said as I plugged in my port.

The files popped up almost instantaneously and I clicked on the slideshow near the left corner. I flipped through all the grainy shots and plane footage until I got to the picture I saw, a picture of my flock. It was an older picture, one of all of us with Jeb. I gulped and showed Warren who looked eager to see.

"This is Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy, Fang...and Angel..." I had a hard time not snarling when I saw her face. "Fang and I are about the same age. Then Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. The last two are actually blood related."

I looked at Warren whose eyes were fixed on the screen.

"Incredible..."

"Yeah...we were the lucky ones. Apparently we weren't the first or last ones to be tested on. There were a lot of failures. A lot..."

"I'd imagine. Forcing a mutation on someone doesn't sound like a very safe process."

I flipped to the next picture, which just happened to be the one of me and my parents. Warren saw my face and looked back at the picture.

"Who's in this one?"

"Umm...that's my mom, my..._dad,_" I tried not to gag at that, "And, me."

"That's you?" he asked, not a hundred percent sure I was telling the truth.

"Yeah, at least I think so." I said. "I don't remember taking that photo though. I hoped I would've remebered meeting my mom."

I looked at him and he was still string, his eyes scrunched.

"It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that, you don't look like them."

"Well, I have been going through...changes..."

"I know that, you told me, but even in this picture, I just don't see the resemblance."

I looked back to the photo and took a good look at it. I saw my mom, young and beautiful, her hispanic features clearly visible. She was too young to have had Ella, but it must've been sometime in the near future. I looked at Jeb and saw his younger self, stronger and with less facial hair and with a little more light to his eyes. But as much as I tried to see a resemblance, I couldn't. I didn't look like them.

Warren could see I was getting worried so he nudged me gently in the arm. I looked up to see him standing, his hand outstretched to me.

"Hey, you must be wiped out after a day like this. I know I am!" he laughed. "Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure the cook's still up."

"You have a cook?"

"Yeah!" he said with a smile. He had the best smile. It made me feel happy, like the smile was infectious. "Let's go."

"Okay." I smiled, and shut the laptop, leaving it on the bed. I took his hand and followed him out of the room and down the hall, but as much as I tried to forget, my mind stayed on the pictures all night.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! I'm back, and I'm sorry it's taken me a while to update. I've been sick (well, I still am) and away and a bunch of other stuff, but I'm here now! Just to let you know, I got a FictionPress account so if you like this, keep your eyes open for me over there too. I haven't done anything yet, but I have big plans! Speaking of big plans...nah, I'll tell you later! (I know, I'm mean.) Well, anyways, thanks to my loyal readers and I hope you guys stick with me. ****ENJOY! :)**

Chapter 14

**Max**

Okay, I love Warren, I really do, I mean, the boy's like an older, overprotective brother, but after a few days at his house, I had to get out. I know you all are thinking "He lives in a mansion!" and "He saved your life!" but trust me, you would understand if I told you, and I will. He lives in a mansion (that I frequently got lost in), yet he frequently just happened to come across the same room I was in, and then he'd stay there until I left, only to do the same thing again with the next room I found. He never let me have two moments peace. I was always followed or watched over. I couldn't leave or go anywhere. I couldn't even leave the room without him knowing. If I did, he'd freak out. All of this totally did not go with my lifestyle. Sure, I loved living it big, but I had to get out and live my real life.

So, I got past security, and snuck out my window and soared far away from the house. I kinda felt bad leaving, knowing he'd worry, but I needed my freedom.

I flew in the midnight skies for hours, letting my skin absorb some much needed moonlight while letting the icy winds rip through my hair and go right down to my bones. I flew and flew with unlimited energy, until I stumbled across a small city far off the edges of any map. I was curious, so I curved my wings sideways, and swooped down, letting my sneakers skim the edges of the old, faded buildings as I descended.

My landing was the smoothest I've had in a while, my body barely making a sound, my wings barely disturbing the wind as I glided to a stop. I felt like a ghost or a shadow, and that's exactly what I was in this town.

I heard no noises, not the hum of a car or the bark of a dog. The streets were barely lit, the rusted lamp posts letting out a dim, yellow light from their ancient bulbs. The streets themselves were old, crumbly, and faded. It had been patched over so much that I guess, after a time, the people just gave up on it.

The city must've been great at one point, with the high buildings and apartment complexes. There were shops along the streets, but I couldn't tell if they were abandoned or not. I was standing behind an old drug store, but the windows were grimy, and with the shade of night, I couldn't peer inside.

I continued walking, the sound of glass crunching under my feet. The streets were littered with papers and empty beer bottles and as I walked farther, pushing the city limits, I saw old homes falling apart at the hinges surrounded by yellowed, graffitied fences. I supposed that this city was probably home to a bunch of gangsters, if anyone even lived here anymore. Not a single light was on in any building or home I passed, save for one, single light coming from a small office building across the street. This was really creepy.

I turned the corner and made my way to the old building, its foundation showing through the deep cracks in its walls. Plants and ivy wound its way half way up the west side while the other half looked like it was barely hanging on. The place wasn't too tall, standing about five floors, and it wasn't too wide either. As I got closer to the front door, I saw that the building had no name, no identification. It was just a plain, useless space with no purpose but to be the only source of light around. Right...

Against my better judgement, I pushed open the glass front doors and slowly crept inside. Strangely enough, the place looked as if it were in pristine condition. The tile was polished, the mahogany reception desk sparkled, and the elevator doors gleamed in the moonlight.

I slowly shut the front doors, careful not to make any noise, and used my wings to glide over to the elevators. I pressed the arrow and the button lit up red. A few seconds and the doors opened and closed the moment I was in. No one else was in, so I scanned my options. I had floors one through five, the roof, the basement, or S1. Curious as to what S1 was, I pressed the button. Instead of turning red, this one turned blue and slowly took me down, the suspense and adrenaline building.

Moments later, the doors opened into a space I had seen too many times before, one I thought I'd never see again.

**Fang**

When I showed Nudge the ring, she burst into tears, and, despite my wanting to say otherwise, so did I. We just sat for the longest time, sobbing into each others arms and losing our sanity. I didn't know why I cried, but I did. The ring just served as salt in an fresh, open wound. I knew Nudge would take it bad, but I didn't expect to lose it like that. I guess I really didn't know myself that well anymore. That in itself was sad as well.

When the sobbing was over, Nudge finally had collected herself to speak.

"What are we going to do Fang?" she asked desperately. "We can't keep on like this."

"I don't know." I shook my head. "I didn't really expect to find anything, and now, with the ring, it's all so..."

I couldn't find the right words to complete that. How do you describe the feeling of losing your best friend, your soul mate, and team mate? You can't.

"I know..." Nudge said, "Should we show the others?"

"I don't think so. If anything, and _if_ you're right, we should show Angel."

"You know, I've been thinking...it all seems so irrational to think that now. I mean, she's grieving as much as we are."

"Good." I said, letting out a deep breath. "Cuz at first, when you blamed Angel, I thought you were going mad. I mean, Angel's messed up, but she isn't capable of doing something that evil."

"Yeah. And she was the closest to Max."

"Exactly."

"I know. I guess I was so caught up in getting answers, that my mind skipped to anything or everything it could."

"I get what you mean. I felt the same way." I looked away. "I still do."

"Me too, Fang. And I don't think this is just going to go away any time soon."

She looked at me sadly and shook her head. I sighed and looked up at the starry, midnight sky, wondering where Max was now. Hopefully, it was a better place.

"It's not, is it...?"

With another shake of her head, I surprised myself. I laughed. I don't know why, but I did. I_ laughed_.

"Then, I guess we'll have to find a way to live with it."

I opened my arms and let Nudge fall into them, her body leaning into mine, almost curling into mine. I felt her heavy breaths as I stroked her hair like Max used to. We watched the stars, and eventually, Nudge went to sleep. I didn't bother her. She was too peaceful, and this was probably the first time she'd slept in ages.

Things were going to be different. I got that now. The problem, however, was going to be getting there, getting to that different because Max was never easy to get rid of. Why should that change in death?

**Angel**

I didn't mean to spy, I really didn't, but they were right there on the porch, and how could a telepath resist? The more I listened in on the conversation between Fang and Nudge, the more I had to keep from peeing myself with laughter. I mean, first, the girl lets me off scott free, and then they both defend me! But the icing on the cake was Fang's little monlouge in his head about Max and how hard she was to forget about. I mean, BARF! I wasn't sure if I was going to burst from laughter of get sick from his lovers daze. Seriously Fang, get a spine and grow up; I thought you were the tough one.

I was so happy right now. Happy for myself and for Dylan! It was as if the stars were looking out for us, like we were blessed or something! I couldn't wait to tell him so we could celebrate!

_"Dylan!" _I called mentally.

_"What!" _He shouted from a sleepy mind

_"Get down here! I have big news!" _

_"Fine..." _I heard a bunch of grumbling and then the sound of cursing before tuning him out. He was such a pain sometimes.

His mind grumbles turned into real ones as he trudged out of him room, down the hall, and into the family room where I was seated. It was different than the usual kitchen, but I didn't want to be seen or heard by Fang or the little nuisance with him.

Dylan, fresh out of bed, complete with the wild hair and PJs plopped himself down on the couch and gave me the evil eye.

"What is it with you and midnight meetings? Some people do sleep!"

"Hush!" I scolded as I pointed to the windows. "And, besides, it's only two a.m."

"Oh," he replied sarcastically, "Only two a.m? What, three isn't good enough for you? At least then I could've gotten one more hour of precious sleep!"

"Shut up you ingrate and listen to me." I hissed at him. "I have the most wonderful news!"

"Oh?" he asked, the sarcasm still there, but a hint of curiousity was present now.

"Yes. As it turns out, we completely off the hook."

"Really?" he asked, the cynicism dripping, "And how did you manage to pull that off?"

"I didn't do anything?" I gleamed in joy, "That little numbskull out there did it all herself."

"Nudge? What could she have done?"

"She was the one who suspected me, the telepath I warned you about."

"Ah, is she now? And how did you figure that one out?" It was obvious he didn't believe me, but I kept on going.

"I have my ways, but anyway, she just up and changed her mind."

"And this was of her own free will?"

"Yes. I was listening to her conversation just now and she said that sge was crazy to even think of my guilt. She's blaming the whole thing on stress and insanity. It's priceless really." I could barely contain my joy, the words making my stomach tingle in delight.

"So, I'm assuming she doesn't know she's a telepath?"

"Correct."

"And she said she doesn't suspect us anymore."

"Right again." I beamed at him. "It really was hilarious! They both, she and Fang, started defending me, claiming I was too sweet or innocent and all that bullshit."

"Remarkable. I was really starting to worry for you." he said in an uncaring tone. That actually kind of hurt, but not enough for me to truely care. I knew deep down that he still needed me, after all, he was only a baby.

"Oh haha. If my ass went in the fire, yours would go straight down with me." I sassed him.

"I don't think so. You see, unlike your power-hungry self, I did a damn good job covering my tracks by kissing everyone else's ass, especially Nudge's and Max's. Everyone loved me. I was the 'good one'"

"Well, the past is the past, and the future, my friend, is looking bright."

"Yeah, I just have one question." Dylan said to the wall.

"What?"

"Fang. Where the hell has he been? What's with the secret meetings with Nudge? I thought you were on top of this." Now, his eyes were aimed right through mine, staring me down, trying to break me down. He was getting quite good at that, but I was still the master, and he was the student.

"There's nothing suspicious. Apparently, from what I could gather, Fang went searching for evidence to incriminate us." I waved my hand and looked away as if I cared less.

"Holy shit!" Dylan jumped up. "Did he find anything?"

"When he got to the place all he found was a hole in the ground, some dust, and Max's ring. Nothing solid. Nothing pointing to us. He just came back to show the ring to Nudge." I said impassively.

"And you didn't bother to tell me about this?" he spat in fury. "What if he did end up finding something?"

"Then I would've told you, but since he didn't, I was perfectly fine letting the subject die." I explained rationally but with a sharp edge to my voice. "Jesus! Don't get your panties in a bunch!"

"Sorry if I am just a tad bit concerned." He was still fuming, but whatever nasty comment he had afterwards he swallowed. I was actually disappointed. He was getting rather good at his comebacks lately.

"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say so if you love your precious sleep so much, feel free to return to it." I dismissed him.

"You better watch yourself Angel. You've been lucky so far, but one day, that luck will run out, and I may not be there to help save your ass when it falls."

I didn't respond to that. I just let him walk away and back to his room, his door slamming shut behind him. He was asleep in a matter of minutes, but I couldn't sleep.

I knew I was lucky, but I also knew that I was on the right side. With the school and their money funding and supporting me, I could never lose. I would always be the winner, and in the end, I would be the leader.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey! I'm sorry that this chapter's so long. It's actually the longest so far being close to about 7,000 words! Being that as it may, I apologize for any errors I might've overlooked. It's kinda hard to comb through something this long and fix everything :) Anyway, I know it's a lot but it's a nessicary evil seeing as though close to every word is important to the story line. I hope you like this chapter! ****ENJOY! **

Chapter 15

**Max**

The second I stepped into that room, I got the wind knocked out of me. So many memories flooded my brain just with the smell of bleach and antiseptic that I literally collapsed to the tile floors. There was one smell that was missing though, the smell of death, and I was grateful. If that was there among the others, I might've totally lost it.

I slowly pulled myself up off the floor, barely containing my rage or my ugre to vomit, and stood up. I was shakey, but moved forward none the less.

As I looked around, I saw cages, the same cages I was placed in for half my life, except these were empty. That was probably why this place didn't reek of death, or at least blood. To the other side, I saw labs, and the memories came back again. There were tables with operating tools, various machines with sinister purposes, scalpals and needles and straps. There were test tubes full of chemicals and beakers just the same. I felt the wave of nausea come back, and I literally felt like I was going to hurl. Luckily, I was able to stop myself from making a mess, but just as I was getting up, a problem arose.

There were voices. They were coming from the other room and they were getting louder, closer. They were coming towards me, and I knew they could hear me.

I quickly scrambled up and ran around the sides of the crates, hiding beside them. I slowly peered over the top, after I had caught my breath, to see what I was up against.

There were three whitecoats standing right where I used to be. They were just standing, no talking, but they were clearly upset by the looks of their faces. One was older, with thin, wispy white hair while the other two were both tall, bony, and dark haired, their glasses lying crookedly on their noses. They were all typical whitecoats, but what were they doing here?

"See Sines? There's no one here." one of the nerdy guys said.

"I could've sworn that I saw something!" The cross old man huffed. He kinda looked like an evil Santa.

"Old man." the other said under his breath. "You're so old, you're seeing things!"

"There was someone here! I swear by it!" the old man shouted, his fists clenching.

The first nerd, knowing where this was heading, stepped in between the two and tried to calm everyone down.

"Okay, someone was here, but they're gone now. It was probably a lost intern or something. Nothing to worry about. And you," he said, turning on the dweeb, "This man is one of the best we have, and we need him for the project. Try showing some respect."

Both men huffed and nerd number two stalked back off into the other room to do God knows what. The other two stayed out, the older man clearly not satisfied with his answer.

"Sines. It's nothing to worry about. We are in a top secret, very low profile, brand new facility. The golden monster can't possibly find us here. We're so under the radar that we don't even exist in the eyes of every government in the world besides Japan, and you know why that is. ITEX is so safe here, that we have everything stored here!" The nerd said with pride. "You probably just saw an intern or someone getting some data sheets or something."

"I know, it's just I could've sworn I saw..." The old man furrowed his bushy brow and looked up at the nerd.

"Hey, let's just go back into the lab and finish our job. I don't know about you, but I'm tired and I want to go home. Besides, this town is really creepy at night."

"Heh." the old man chuckled. "You afraid of the dark boy?"

"No Sir, just the creatures thst live in the dark."

The old man nodded his head and motioned for the nerd to follow him. They both disappeared behind solid, metal doors moments later, leaving me with all the information I needed.

So, this was an ITEX facility and not one of my re-occurring nightmares. Some part of me was relieved while the other part fought to swallow all the building fury in my throat as I tried to keep the moster inside from blowing the place sky high.

I needed to get to a computer of some sorts to see all this information that was apparently stored here. If they really did have everything, then I was probably bound to get more than I bargained for, and I didn't even bring a flash drive. Then again, maybe now all my questions would be answered.

I carefully made my way back to the elevator and pressed the button. It glowed and just like last time, it moved hyper fast, barely giving me any time to get in. This time, I chose to go to the top, level 5. Usually you can find everything important up there, seeing as though that's where the boss usually is. Moving ultra fast, the doors flew open in seconds and I ran out the elevator before it had the chance to crush me between it's stainless steel doors.

Breathing hard and trying my best to compose myself, I slowly crept across the carpeted hallway. With each step I passed multiple doors, each the same, deep mahogany color with a brass nameplate above the knocker. The wallpaper was old and dark and there were no windows in sight. It was just one, very long, very quiet, dark hallway, the lights up above letting out a low dim, glow. I had seemed to be let out in the middle of the hall, because I looked behind and there were multiple other doors stretching far out behind me.

Taking in a breath, I headed forward to the single door that was right in front of me. It was the same as all the others, but this one was the only one not to the side. I guessed it had some importance, one that I would soon find out.

As I approached the door, I checked behind me again and then slowly turned the brass doorknob until I heard I soft, but audible click. The door swung open with ease, and I pushed myself through the dark opening.

The room had large, panoramic windows lining the back wall, letting in all of the moon's light and making the room radiate in a silvery glow. I could see everything. I could see the filing cabinets off to the side, and the side table covered in various bottles of liquor. I could see a door to the left and a corkboard to its side littered with scraps of paper and post-it notes. I could see the table to my left, covered in stacks of papers and the lamp that wasn't on. Finally, I could see the main desk. It wasn't too large, its top barely occupied with a calender, a stapler, a few pens and pencils, and a very modern computer. I shoved everything else out of my mind and made a bee-line for the computer.

I pulled out the very large, very official looking chair and sat myself down at the desk. I felt very powerful just sitting there, my mind racing with ideas, but I pushed the thought out of my mind and returned my focus to the computer. I cracked my knuckles and prepared to work, letting my fingers fly across the keyboard, hacking into the system so fast that even Nudge would be jealous.

Nudge. That name made me feel so sad, my fingers halting on the keyboard. I felt an overwhelming flood of guilt and nostalgia as I thought about her name. I wondered what they were doing right now, what she was doing. Was she okay? They must miss me like crazy. I felt my throat close, but I snapped myself out of the reverie. I was not going to cry, not when I had a job to do. Besides, Nudge wasn't my priority now. I was dead to her and to the rest of the world.

I slammed down on the keyboard, channeling my emotions out onto it. The keys didn't deserve the beating I was giving them, it wasn't their fault, but I had to take this all out on something.

In a matter of moments, I saw files flow across the screen, ones I had never seen before. They all seemed to be dated videos and clips, each one was given a specific name and everything. There were more photo and data files too, but I wanted to see the videos, so I clicked on the first one I saw, and what I did see, horrified me.

_Various whitecoats surrounded a table with scalpals and surgical tools. They were all in scrubs, all had demonic smiles plastered on their pale faces. Then, the camera shifted to another table, one with a small boy with light hair lying on it. He was not moving. His eyes, as light as they were, were being swabbed down with various liquids as other whitcoats eagarly closed in on him, impatient to begin. _

_"Come on!" one yelled._

_"Yeah, let's get going already!" another agreed._

_"Silence!" the man on the camera yelled. "This requires complete concentration if it is to go as planned."_

_"And what is this plan?" the first guy asked._

_"It is going to be beautiful! His improved sight will hopefull give way to a new mutation that will top all the others."_

_There were a few oohs and a few excited looks, but that was nothing out of the ordinary for a whitecoat._

_"I don't know...that little girl with telepathy is pretty amazing." another guy said from the side._

_"Silence!" a woman shouted. "We're ready to begin. Start the film. We don't want the boss to miss this."_

_"Okay, and we're rolling...now!" _

I heard the sounds of a saw buzzing and I had to turn the video off. I felt like puking. That, or punching a wall. Those sick bastards! How could they keep a video like that? It's inhumane!

I forced myself to look back at the screen as I clicked on another one, and after a few seconds, I had to turn away. It was another surgical video, and I could not put myself through that again. I didn't even get a chance to see who the poor soul was. I shook my head, trying my best to clear it, and then clicked on another, and another, and another. They were all either surgical, or testing videos. I saw clips of battle testing with my flock. I saw various medical tests and physical tests and so many tests that I was about to explode. I was about to trash the place and give up until I clicked on a video on the far left, hoping it was at least a tad bit enlightening. It was obviously filmed by a security camera, the shots were in black and white and were very grainy in quality.

_Jeb was standing next to a very young Gazzy as he held a baby Angel in his arms. I could see Fang and Nudge and Iggy all running around the battlefields, actually having fun as Jeb smiled on. I was no where to be found. _

_Suddenly, another whitecoat came up and looked upon the spectacle, obviously disapproving. _

_"I don't get it J. Why do you let them run around like this? They're none of your concern and they're definately not yours to take care of."_

_"Yes, but they're still kids, and kids need to have a little bit of fun once in a while."_

_"Those kids aren't just kids, they're valuable projects who actually need to come in for some more very important tests."_

_"Just give them a few more minutes. I think they're actually happy for once and they don't get too much of that being locked up in dog crates."_

_"Why do you care about them so much? You never cared about the others."_

_"These are different. I can feel it."_

_"Yes, they are, but they're not even the best part."_

_"What?"_

_"Yeah. We got a new subject we're experimenting on. Well, not exactly new, but we're using some new techniques, and I think that this one will top all of the others by far."_

_"What's the mutation?"_

_"Same as these." he said, pointing at Angel and Gazzy. "But this time, it's better."_

_"Yeah. We are going to go all out on this one." he boasted. "Jeb, you gotta help with this one man! It's gonna be the project of a lifetime! It could literally put us in the big leagues!" _

_"I think I'll pass." Jeb said casually._

_"Suit yourself." the other guy shrugged. _

_"And how do you plan on controling this 'new and improved' experiment?" Jeb said skeptically_

_"We're going to install a homing chip in her arm when she's old enough to survive the surgery. She'll never be out of our sight."_

_"Old enough? How old are we talking?"_

_"Barely a year old right now, but if we can inject the mutation now, it still has a good chance of sticking."_

_"So you don't even know if she'll survive, none the less be some super mutant?" he doubted._

_"We'll see." the guy said shortly. "Now call those things in. You've had your extra time." And with that, the guy walked away._

_I saw Jeb sigh and start to call something, but the video cut out, the screen fading to black and white stripes._

I layed back in the chair, rubbing my temples. So many things didn't make sense now, and instead of clearing up my questions, it only raised more. They were clearly talking about me, but Jeb was my father. Why was he acting like I didn't exist?

Pushing my thoughts out of my mind for the moment, I clicked on the next video, one dated just a few years later.

_Jeb was standing in a large, round office, facing a giant metal desk. There was obviously someone else in the room, but the camera's angle prevented me from seeing a face. Jeb looked upset, and his tone showed it._

_"You can't do this! It is completely illegal, more illegal than anything we have ever done in the history of ITEX!" _

_"Calm yourself Batcheledor. You're missing the big picture here."_ _said a deep, male voice_.

_"What big picture? That by creating this we are declaring war on our own country and any other one who gets in our way? Because if that's the big picture, then I want no part in this."_

_"Jeb, be reasonable. I like you, I really do. You are an amazing geneticist, and I would love for you to be on my team, but you're not irreplacable."_

_"What is that supposed to mean?"_

_"That means, that if you don't help me with my little project, I'll personally make sure that your life is a living hell."_

_"You don't scare me. I am not afraid of you."_

_"Really? Well, your girlfriend is."_

_"You leave her out of this." Jeb snapped._

_"She lives out west, doesn't she. Native to South America, right? If my memory serves, I'd say she's part Brasilian, isn't she. Does she belong to that division?"_

_Jeb didn't say a word. His face was contorted in rage._

_"Well, as I was saying, I'd hate to see anything bad happen to her. Wouldn't you?"_

_"Yes." Jeb said through clenched teeth. _

_"Then, you know what you have to do."_

_"Yes."_

_"Good boy. Now, go and get our little gem out to the battle field. She has to build up strength if she is to be of any use to us."_

_Jeb stalked off and slammed the door forcefully behind him as the clip cut out._

I took a deep breath as more questions flooded my mind. I knew that my brain was going to explode, but I had to keep looking. I had to solve this mystery so I clicked on another video, one a little bit later.

_Jeb was back in that round office, clearly talking to the same man who was threatening him in the last video._

_"Well, back again." the man said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "This is the third time this week. Is there anything I can help you with."_

_"Yes, actually, there is."_

_"Well..."_

_"It is the girl, the weapon."_

_"What about her?"_

_"Well, she is causing a bit of a disturbance."_

_"What kind of disturbance?" the man said, anger creeping in._

_"In the cages, I've overheard her planning an escape and so have a few others. She's been plotting with a few cell mates. I think they might actually succeed."_

_"I have no doubt that they will succeed, that's the way we built her. She can never lose, not as long as she listens to her instincts." the man said, clearly containing rage. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"_

_"I thought she wasn't serious. I thought..."_

_"Well clearly, you thought wrong!"_

_Jeb kinda shirked back a little as the man controlled his temper._

_"Get security doubled and have her worked and tested more often. We cannot have our greatest weapon escape."_

_"Yes sir." Jeb said before rushing out. Then, the video cut out._

Again, fighting my mind, I pressed on and clicked on the next video.

_It was a show room with windows on one side and a room full of important looking people to the other. They were all dressed up like they were going to a party, sipping champagne and making polite conversation. There were many asian ambassadors there, and I could tell that every figure in the room was of great importance. One figure, however, stood out to me. It was the man in the other videos, and I could tell from his deep voice._

_"Ladies and gentlemen, those of higher power, I welcome you to a very exclusive showing of ITEX's latest developments, ones that I personally think, you will enjoy."_

_The way the man strode, his handsome head held high and his confident manor, seemed to lure everyone in. It was clear he was one of great power as well._

_"As you all know, for many years, ITEX has made its goal to assist and supply our allies with weapons that will outsmart their enemies. Whether we help a cause as large as Communist Korea, or one as small as undermining local governments, we will always assist with the lastest, and most advanced technologies we can come up with." _

_He strode over to the windows and peered out before turning his attention back to his audience._

_"Over the past few years, ITEX has been working with some new forms of weapons, ones that are more biological, than mechanical, but do not fret. After today's demonstrations, I assure you that your faith has been put in the right place." He concluded, and was promptly applauded. He smiled graciously, and bowed his head. "Now, If you will please direct your attention to the viewing platform, the demonstrations will begin."_

_The man backed away from the windows as the other men and women flooded towards them with eagar eyes. He clapped his hands and the windows lightened to show what was on the other side._

_Some sort of arena had been created and various different beasts stood in the center. I let my eyes adjust, and I saw what probably were the first Erasers. They looked a little unbalanced, but I could still see the modern day resemblance in them. _

_"These, ladies and gentlemen, are what we at ITEX like to call Erasers."_

_I was right on the money and the beasts started performing amazing athletic feats, some were even fighting each other, getting many oohs and ahhs out of the audience._

_"Amazing hybrids, these creatures. By combining human and lupine genetics, ITEX geneticists have created a super race of half wolf, half human soldiers. They are easily controlled by usage of chips and nano technology and they are both physically and menatlly stronger than a human soldier. They have a coat of long, thick, and nearly bulletproof fur that conceals dramatically enhanced muscles. Their eyesight and sense of smell and hearing are the equivalent of a wolf's and so is their speed."_

_"Amazing..." one of the guests said. "But how are we supposed to use them in war? They don't exactly blend in."_

_"We thought of that, and that is why they can all morph back into a human form when the fighting is done."_

_As he said that, the Erasers did so, and the audience applauded loudly._

_"Thank you, thank you, but we are just getting started."_

_And the video went like that as I watched more and more hybrids put on a show and listened to the crowd get more and more excited. They were absolutely obssessed with these creatures and I was getting really disturbed. I wondered how many of these were still in production, but my thoughts were soon put back to the screen._

_"Now, finally, the gems of the show and ITEX's greatest achievements yet! I introduce to you, our bird children!"_

_I looked back to the arena to see Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel all standing in the middle of the floor looking absolutely terrified. Fang looked like he was only eight or nine years old, while Angel could barely stand. _

_The crowd looked confused and many started to murmur amongst themselves. _

_"Don't be confused, my esteemed colleagues, despite their appearances, they are quite powerful."_

_"But they are children." one of the asian generals stated in a thick accent. "How can we be sure that they even know how to fight, none the less take orders."_

_"I agree!" said a woman in a french accent. "I mean, look at zem! Ze little gurl can barely walk!"_

_"Patience, my friends. Just watch. The show is about to begin."_

_Suddenly, all of the previous experiments flooded the arena and started attacking my very young flock and I was no where to be found. I watched in horror as they ripped at them and saw blood flying everywhere, until I realized that it wasn't their blood. It was their opponents'. I watched them attack with vigor and strength, even little Angel was kicking butt._

_I looked to the crowd's faces and every one of them was glued to the windows, watching in amazement as the little children beat the crap out of things twice their size and quadrouple their numbers. _

_"Now, what did I say? Aren't they just perfect?" the man said with affection and something else. Ambition._

_All the crowd could do was just stare as my flock beat up the remaining Erasers. Finally, when the show was over, they were taken away from the windows and back to their seats. _

_"Now, every weapon you see here can be either rented or purchased with the exception of the last showcase. They still have a few more tests and modifications to go through before they can be of any use. When they are available for purchase, I will call another private showcase." _

_The crowd shifted and murmured as they all took their seats._

_"Alright. Let's get down to business! Starting with the Erasers. A dozen Erasers are up for starts and the bidding begins at one million-"_

I cut the video off and skipped to another from about six years ago, hoping that I could see more of myself. I was not meaning to be self-centered it's just I wondered where I was during all of this. I mean, so far, besides being indirectly mentioned a few times, I was nowhere to be found.

_Jeb was back in the office from the other videos. There was the same guy and everything and I was about to turn it off when I heard something that made my blood run cold._

_"She's calling herself what? Our weapon wants to be called what?" the man said, obviously amused._

_"She said she wants to be named Maximum Ride."_

_"Oh, Jeb." the man sighed, "You've given her far too much freedom. If you would've done what I had told you and kept her in her cage, maybe she'd be a little more compliant."_

_"She's just a child, not an animal!"_

_"Maybe to you, but to me, she's a very valuable project who is going to get us everywhere we want to go, and we won't even have to lift a finger!"_

_"Yes, by assassinating presidents and world leaders!" Jeb shouted. "Don't you see a problem with that?"_

_"You didn't, at least, not when you signed on to help create her."_

_"You forced me to when Dr. Hans said no."_

_"You had a choice, and don't deny it Jeb. You loved working on her. She was like a dream come true to you. A perfect weapon. A pefect tool for ITEX to use as it pleased."_

_"I didn't know you wanted me to create and train her to be an assassin!"_

_"Oh come now Jeb, don't be so close-minded! Think of all the possibilities!"_

_"All I can think of right now is a lifetime of prison in death row, because that's what's coming if we set her loose."_

_"Oh Jeb... I had hoped it wouldn't have come to this again..."_

_"Come to what?"_

_"I heard that you have a daughter now, is that right?"_

_"Yes..." Jeb said carefully._

_"It would be a shame if anything was to accidentally happen to her."_

_"Don't you touch her! If you do I swear to God-!"_

_"Relax Jeb, nothing's going to happen to her, just as long as you do me this small favor."_

_"What?" Jeb said grimly._

_"You said our little project isn't taking a liking to our facilities anymore?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And that she wants a way out?"_

_"Yes. Sir, where is this-?"_

_"I think it's time for a change of stratagey. Jeb, I've been thinking, and I've decided that I want you to take her and the others to a secluded, ITEX watched facility, and raise them."_

_"What?"_

_"Just let me continue. You will raise them, train them, teach them, and then leave them. Let them live on their own time, and maybe our little gem will learn. We'll send challenges and problems and spin them silly stories until they finally learn something."_

_"Sir?"_

_"You'll have four years. After that, you leave and come back to us."_

_"But, what will we tell them? Most of them are old enough to remember this place."_

_"I don't know, that's up to you."_

_"And what if I say no?"_

_"Then you know the concequences."_

_They both stared eye to eye before Jeb gave in and slumped down. He looked so defeated, but I'd never hated him more._

_"Oh, and I'll be sending in my own agent to make sure things run according to plan, just in case." the man added._

_Jeb nodded and walked out of the room before the video cut to black and white again._

My entire body was shaking in anger and confusion. Against my better judgement I clicked on the next video.

_Jeb was running frantically around the office again. It was four years later and he looked so worn out and tired. _

_"I did what you said sir and they have been making beautiful progress."_

_"And our gem?"_

_"The strongest of them all. She has nearly unlimited potential, just as she should be. She is also quite dangerous and an aggressive fighter."_

_"Good, good."_

_"There is a problem, however."_

_"What kind of problem?"_

_"She has grown very attached to the others, and I am afraid she cannot reach her true potential with them around."_

_"Then we will just have to get rid of them. They're success was never really in the cards anyway."_

_"Are you sure, Sir?"_

I turned off the video and pounded on the desk as I fought the urge to destroy everything. Jeb was a traitor. My friends were pawns. And I was an assassin, nothing but a tool in ITEX's eyes. Everything I'd ever been through was a lie, every fight was a set up, and every victory was just another lesson learned and more muscle gained. I had been living a game of cat and mouse for years, and I was the mouse.

Anger bubbled up in my throat as I screamed. I felt my fist break through the desk, a deafening crack ringing in the air. If anyone heard me, let them come. I needed to hurt people now.

I heard the videos replay in my head, the words assasssin, created, and weapon, filling my mind. I was seething, by body bent over the desk, my fingers digging into the thick wood, giving my splinters.

I heard the door open, but I didn't took up. I heard a voice get caught in someone's throat, trying to find the words to speak as they caught sight of my notorious golden hair.

"W-Who are you?" the voice asked and I nearly pounced at it. It belonged to the one person I wanted to kill the most.

"I knew there was a reason why I hated you, but now I think I found a better one." I hissed through clenched teeth.

I slowly raised my fury filled eyes to meet the pair of wide, bespectacled ones in front of me. He searched my face, his mustache twitching and his grey hair growing.

"Max?" Jeb whispered. "Max, is that you? How did you-?"

I cut him off as he tried to take a step towards me, my head snapping up all the way and the computer turning to dust next to me. He jumped about ten feet back, horrified.

"I knew that you were the bad guy, even from the beginning. It was foolish for me to have trusted you at all. It just took me until now to really see your true colors."

"Max, what are you talking about?"

"Stop calling me Max!" I screamed at him as the desk disinegrated. "ITEX's 'little gem' is dead."

"Oh God, the videos." Jeb looked frightened. "You didn't-"

"Yes I did! I've seen every atrocity this facility ever did! And you are its biggest offender." I said as I cocked my head to the side. "You're the guiltiest of them all, and you're going to pay for what you've done."

"You have to understand! I didn't know! I was innocent! I-" Jeb was ranting as I slowly closed in on him. He tried to run out of the door, but I slammed it shut. He looked like he was going to shit his pants. Good. He should be scared.

In a matter of moments I had Jeb by his lab coat collar and hoisted him up in the air like he wieghed nothing. I threw him across the room, his body skimming to a stop and running into the thick glass windows. I got over to him beofre he could get back up and threw him again. There was blood all over his face, but he deserved more than just a few bruises. I held him up to my face and looked into his weak, trembling eyes.

"Do you remember the Director telling you he was sending a spy before you kidnapped us?" I asked in a completely rational tone.

"Yes..." Jeb said faintly.

"And do you know who that was?"

"No...he never...came."

I chuckled a little. "Yes _she_ did. And it took her a while, but under orders from the very person who paid to create my wings, she killed me."

"What?..." Jeb was starting to come to.

"Yes. She was actualy right under our noses the entire time."

"W-Who was it."

"Angel." I said with a smile.

I watched his face contort with confusion and then pain as I laughed histerically.

"Actually, Angel killed me the same way that I am going to kill you."

Jebs eyes widened before he started shrieking. I honestly had no control over what was going on, my will had surrendered to the beast a long time ago. I saw the flames lick over Jeb's skin, covering him in an orange glow that illuminated the room.

I was laughing like a mad woman, things burning at the very touch of my hands. I skipped around the room, setting everything on fire. I watched the papers burn and the metal and the tables. Even the fire sprinklers melted, causing the entire ceiling to collapse with the water's pressure. I could hear the panic on the other floors and just laughed harder. In all this, I forgot about Jeb, who's screams had died with him. I picked up his burning body and gloated in my victory.

"Karma's a bitch." I whispered in his ear before throwing his charred corpse through the burning door and into the hallway.

I followed it out, my crazed self running down the halls as I ran my burning hands over the walls. The wallpaper caught fire in seconds and soon the entire floor was ablaze. I could hear screams coming from a few of the burning offices, but I just skipped on to the elevators. When they opened I lit then aflame too and within moments, I heard the cables snap and felt a gust of air rush by as the burning boxes crashed, shooting flames up the shaft. I howled in delight.

Suddenly, I heard another crack and as soon as I turned aroud, I saw a ceiling beam coming right at me. I was knocked over in a second, the wind totally gone from my body. As I struggled for breath, another crack visibly appeared in the floors. I scrambled up, but the floor gave in, and I crashed through two floors, landing hard on the third. I knew I probably had blisters on my back and tried desperately to get up, but as soon as I did, I was pelted with more beams as the floors gave in again. I landed on my side this time, my shoulder snapping. I screamed bloody murder as I tried to move, but my legs were caught under various debris from the fall.

I could feel tears streaking my face as the soot burned my eyes. The flames had dried my throat, my voice failing me. My lungs were burning with the ash inside of them and my shoulder screamed with pain as blood flowed from a very deep gash. The monster was gone now. She had wreaked her havok and left me with the painful mess.

My eyes were becoming blurred and I was losing oxygen fast. It had never occured to me that I might die here, but now it looked like a very good possibility, if not a reality.

I was losing conciousness, my body was shutting down and the ash was choking off any oxygen I could possibly use. I felt myself fall, but a few moments later, I felt a familiar grasp take hold of me. I couldn't see, but this person was pulling me out of the fire and scooping me up into their arms. I felt the cool rush of air that came with flying high as I left the burning fires behind.

I heard the wail of sirens off in the distance. They would get a claim that a fire was started by unknown circumstances and the police would pretend to look into it. I didn't care though. Hopefully, this person was taking me far, far away from this night.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**Fang**

I woke up on the porch with Nudge curled up into my chest. The sun was just peeking out from the horizon, making everything around me seem to glow with a pinkish light. I used to like the sunrise, it used to mean the start of a new day, a new day to leave the past behind. It was in those perfect moments that I would thank God for my friends, for my adoptive family, but that family was almost nonexistant now. We were falling apart at the seams.

I looked over the mountains, each peak slicing throught the horizon. That was my favorite part now, the part when something so pure and beautiful as a sunrise gets sliced into pieces by something that it can't control. It was the story of my life.

I sat and watched the sun until it rose up and above the mountains to take its rightful place above us all. The skies were bright blue; it looked to be a perfect day. I sighed at the cheerful world around me, taking in all the irony. Something so perfect shouldn't exist in my world anymore.

Without disturbing Nudge, I got up and stretched out my body. I was sore from sleeping upright, and had a terrible cramp in my left arm, no doubt from holding Nudge all night. She, on the other hand, looked at peace as she curled up into a loose ball. If only I could sleep like that, so peaceful, no nightmares to haunt me. But, then again, this is the first time she had probably slept at all in a while.

After making sure she was fine, I turned around and pulled open the double doors that lead to the kitchen. I was careful not to open them too far so they wouldn't squeak and wake someone, but just enough so that I could slip inside unnoticed, or so I thought.

"Fang, long time no see." Angel's voice rang through the kitchen like chimes. I cringed and turned around to see the child sitting at the kitchen table with Dylan and the rest of the flock, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Sorry. I thought you all were asleep." and they looked it too.

I hadn't seen Gazzy since I had left Paris and he looked like a living corpse now, his face pale and sallow. Iggy looked like he was going to pass out on the table or punch something, maybe both. Dylan looked impassive and Angel had never looked more upbeat. She had an envelope in her hands and judging by the large stack of unread mail, I was guessing she had finally went through it and found something useful.

"No. We're all up. I called a family meeting." she said, smile still there. It was creeping me out.

"Okay..."

"Can you go and wake Nudge? We need everyone here for this."

"What?" a groggy voice said behind my head. "Who said my name?"

It was Nudge. She was trailing behind me, finger-combing her wild hair and wiping sleep from her eyes.

"Oh. Perfect! The meeting can start."

I looked warily at Nudge and she returned with the same expression. Niether of us had any idea what the hell was going on, and niether of us really liked her smile either. Something was definately up. Reluctantly, we sat down at the kitchen table with the rest of the flock, me taking the end chair opposite Angel while Nudge sat besides Iggy near Angel. I folded my hands across my chest and leaned back in the chair, waiting for her to start talking.

"Well, after the pile got so huge, I decided to go through the mail. I was just going to throw everything out, but this letter fell out from the bottom." she said, waving the cream colored paper. "I normally would've just thrown it away, but it looked important so I read it, and I am actually quite disturbed by what it says."

"What does it say?" Nudge asked with sincere curiousity.

"It's a letter from ITEX." Everyone's heads snapped up at that. "Well, it's more like a request from ITEX. It says that we need to come to New York for questioning on recent, brutal attacks on the company."

We all sat in eerie silence for minutes just staring at the letter in Angel's hands. She passed it to me and I scanned over it. Yep, it was definately a request from ITEX, and that's what made it really strange. Why the hell would they just invite us over to their HQ like we were old pals?

"What?" Iggy said, finally processing what she was saying.

"That's what it says. They want us in their New York HQ by Friday, that's three days from now, to undergo interviews and such."

"Well, what does that mean?" Nudge asked, a little worried.

"It says that there were attacks on ITEX. Maybe they think that we were the attackers?" Angel suggested.

"Or, it could be a trap." I put in. They all looked at me.

"Yeah!" Iggy piped up. "It could be a trap!"

"I don't think so. ITEX has never blatantly asked for us like this before, and they sound kinda desperate if you read the whole letter."

"Well, maybe they're desperate for us because of the attacks and they don't have anything left." Nudge reasoned.

"I don't know, but I think we should go." Angel decided firmly.

"Why? Who made you leader?" Iggy spat at Angel. "We should put it to a vote like always."

"I just think we should go because it gives us something to do besides moping around in a house all day! I mean, we do absolutely nothing besides lay around! And if it's a trap, who cares? At least we can have an adventure like the old times! At least we can try to move on!" Angel ranted.

She had a point. We desperately needed to do something and laying around this house wasn't helping anyone.

"I agree with Angel." I said, breaking the fight. "That's my vote."

They all looked at me again like I was crazy, but one by one they all voted.

"I'll go." Gazzy said softly. It was the first I had heard him speak since Paris, and everyone seemed shocked. As soon as he said it, he went back down the hall and slammed his door shut. We all just ignored it. It was how Gazzy was.

"I'll go." Iggy nodded at Angel.

"I will too." Nudge said, a little hesitant. I smiled at her and she tried to return it. I could tell she was scared.

"Count me in." Dylan said with complete confidence. "It's been a while since I've kicked some decent ass." I felt like kicking _his_ ass. For someone who cared about Max so much, he sure didn't seem to miss her.

"Perfect!" Angel beamed, her smile coming back in full force. "Well, we better get ready or we're going to be late!"

"For what?" I asked.

"For New York! I already called our very rich friend Nino Pierpont and his plane arrives in just a few short hours! Get packing!"

She skipped down the hall and into her room, the door slamming behind her. All I could do was shake my head in utter disbelief. What was that girl turning into?

**Max**

_I was flying high in the sky again, totally free, totally alone. I was left to my own inner peace, and I wanted it to stay that way. It was just me and the clouds above, and my wings to guide me. If this was paridise, I wanted to stay here forever. If I was dead, I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind one bit..._

_Then, out of nowhere, a small glimmer of the purest gold peaked out from behind the clouds. I had seen that before, a golden glimmer floating above the most crystal clear waters and the lush green islands that lay below. As I got closer, the golden glimmer took the familiar shape of a palace, one that I was floating right towards at a rapid speed. My body was thrown through the solid gold double doors and flew through various hallways, past the golden women, and stopped right at the foot of a giant golden throne that seated a woman of the same size. A woman with raven's hair adorned with moving silver orbs and who had wise, violet eyes. _

_Yes, I had been here before. This was the place that I was reborn._

_"Maximum." the woman's voice boomed across the room, filling it with sound._

_"Yes, my lady?" I bowed._

_"Why are you failing me?" That was not what I was expecting her to say. It felt like a slap in the face._

_"What? I have been doing as you asked! I am destroying ITEX! I-" I was absolutely fuming._

_"I never told you to destroy the physical place. I told you to stop those in charge. If you remove those in power, the rest will fall apart." she replied calmly._

_"Yes, well I have already destroyed-"_

_"I know. I am all seeing, all knowing, remember?" she asked, a hint of amusement playing on her lips._

_"Yes." I grumbled._

_"Besides, it is not your dealings with ITEX that worries me. It is your dealings with yourself that have become most unsettling." she said as she got up from her throne, shrinking her size to a normal human's. _

_"I'm sorry, I don't understand." What the hell did that mean?_

_"You have been letting your power control your mind, and that is not a very wise thing to do, not wise at all."_

_"I've been trying, believe me, but it's so hard, and there's so much-"_

_"There are no excuses Maximum. Either you can control this power or you let it control you."_

_"But, I've been trying-"_

_"You know, I didn't choose you for your powers Maximum. If I wanted power, I could've chosen any number of the skilled mutants on this plant, but instead, I chose you. Do you want to know why?"_

_"Why?" I asked, a tad bit insulted._

_"Because you had something that the others did not. You had the determination, the drive, the will to do whatever you set your mind to. It wasn't your skills or talents, it was because of that will power that I chose you above the rest. I thought that someone that strong on the inside would have the strength to combat the enormous powers I would give, but it seems that you are slipping under its pressure."_

_"So, you chose wrong." I said sarcastically. I was genuinely hurt now._

_"No, I didn't. I know I chose right by choosing you." she said, a warm smile appearing on her face._

_"What? A few minutes ago you were just saying that I was failing you! That I was letting the power control me!"_

_"No, but you always let it out to do your bidding until you decide to riegn it back in. This power is not a toy, it is a tool you must learn to use correctly. You must master absolute control before you are able to harness it and defeat your enemies."_

_"And how do you know I can do that?" _

_"You know, you are not the first one I gave this power to." she said, turning her back to me. "I gave it to a powerful young mutant many, many years ago. She used it to do amazing things. She saved the world. She was a hero, but just as soon as she was good, the power suddenly consumed her and transformed her into a monster. She would go on to destroy everything in sight and the people soon called her a fire devil, a phoenix. Even after her human body died, the power transformed her spirit into a celestial being and even today she possess powerful women to continue her rampage. I have not yet had the time to destroy her, seeing as though destroying my magic is something that can hardly ever be done. It is a tragic fact really."_

_"And, will that happen to me?" I asked, truely terrified. _

_"Not if you learn to control it."_

_"How will I learn?"_

_"Discipline yourself. That's all you need to do. The reason that mutant got consumed by power was because she trusted it. Never trust power Maximum. It may be the last thing you ever do."_

_I gulped and nodded slowly as I gazed into her warning eyes._

_"Now, there is something else I need to tell you before our connection breaks." she said with urgency._

_"What?" _

_"Maximum, I can only keep you in the mortal realm for so long; my power is waning due to the amount I gave to you."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"It means that in two weeks time, at sunrise, you will cease to be. You will be called up to me and that is where you will remain."_

_"So, I'll die, again?"_

_"Not nessicarily, but if you want to put it that way..."_

_"What about the mission?"_

_"It seems as though you must complete it by the sunrise on that day or else all may be lost."_

_"Okay. No pressure. Great..."_

_"I have faith in you Maximum Ride. You will do what needs to be done."_

_"I sure hope so..."_

_I saw the room flicker in and out, my vision became fuzzy and bright and I had to squint to see straight._

_"You are waking up Maximum, and so our connection is fading." _

_I looked around the room again, the flickering becoming more and more frequent._

_"We will meet again here in two weeks time!" she yelled, but it sounded like a whisper. "Remember, control your power!"_

_I nodded as she started to fade as well._

_"Good luck." she mouthed as she vanished along with everything else, leaving me alone, falling into nothingness._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Max**

When I finally opened my eyes, I couldn't see a thing. All I could make out were shapes outlined by the brightest of white lights searing through my vision, a light so bright that I had to look away. Even when I tried to move my head, my eyes were still flooded with light; it was everywhere. I moved my hand to try and shield my face, but I couldn't. My hand jerked back, as if attached to something. I pulled again, but this time, it hurt and I felt something moving under my skin. Thankfully, I saw a shadow move out of the corner of my eye and across the room and suddenly, the light was gone and I could see exactly where I was.

I was back in a very familiar biege room with all matching furniture and a singular window, the curtains now drawn acoss it. Standing in front of that window was a very familiar face, one that was looking at the ground at the moment. I could tell he wasn't happy though, his arms crossed across his chest, his body restless. Warren was in a bad mood.

I looked down at my hand, trying to see what was holding it down, only to see another IV hooked up to me. I didn't panic this time; I just let my hand fall down to the cream colored sheets, far too tired to do anything. I didn't remember much of what had happened, but I do remember getting roughed up pretty badly. If I looked anywhere near as bad as I felt, then I was in a bad shape.

Warren had moved to the foot of my bed, and I was confused to why he looked so angry. What had made him like this? He never came off to me as a cross person, nor had I ever seen him cross until now. But, then again, I had only known him for a few days. Still, I must've done something pretty bad to make him this upset.

"Hey." I said weakly, trying to smile.

"Hey." he said sharply, killing my smile.

I didn't get his bad mood. Did I do something to him? Was he mad at me? I didn't know...

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah." He said on edge. "I'm peachy."

I could tell he was trying hard not to explode on me as he leaned over the bars of the bed I was in.

"Are you..." he started, trying his hardest to collect his thoughts without going off. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"No...?"

"Because this is the second time in a week that I've had to save your ass from from dying."

"Wait a minute, I never told you to save me."

"Well, you kinda became my responsibility when you practically fell out of the sky and into my arms."

"I am no one's _responsibility_." I hated being talked about like that.

"Well if you stopped geting shot out of the sky or setting buildings on fire, maybe I wouldn't think so!"

"That wasn't me!" I screamed at him. "That wasn't my fault!"

"Oh, so you weren't sneaking out at two a.m. in the morning to go and blow up a random building in the middle of nowhere? You weren't being shot down from the sky by random armed thugs and police officers?" he spat at me. "I found you nearly dead, lying under multiple burning beams, the whole place ready to come down at any second!"

I looked away, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. "That was me, but it's not my fault..."

"Then what is it Max? What?" he said, his eyes scornful. "I also have no idea as to why you were being shot at in the first place! That would be a nice fact to know!"

I couldn't take this. Him on top of all the other pressure just caused me to snap.

"You don't understand Warren. You can't."

"Well please, enlighten me, because everything seemes to be crystal clear right now!"

"You don't know anything about me!" I snapped at him. "You don't know what it's like, to be stranger in your own body! You don't know what it's like to have absolutely no control!"

"Try me. You think I don't know anything? I've been through more in my life than you can possibly imagine."

"No you haven't. That I can guarentee."

"What the hell is your problem Max? What is so difficult to say? Why can't you tell me the truth!"

"Because I don't know what the truth is anymore!" I shrieked "I don't know! I don't know if I'm the good guy anymore! Or if I even had any friends at all!" I shook my head, wiping away the tears in my eyes. "I don't even know if I'm dead or alive."

He stopped and looked at me for a second. He was about to say something, but the words were coming like vomit, along with all the tears, and I couldn't stop them.

"And it's not my fault I can't control this power! I've tried and I've tried but it's just so hard, and I'm just...I'm just so tired of fighting and working and running." I was sobbing, barely getting out a logical sentence. " And, it's not-not even mine! And, I've tried, I really have, but it's too much! I can't do it Warren! I can't, but if I don't we're all going to die..."

He was staring at me, eyes wide yet full of understanding.

"It's just...so hard..." my body shook as he came to sit next to me. He placed his hand on top of mine, our eyes meeting, our gaze locking.

"Why don't you start from the begining?" he said softly.

I nodded slowly, swallowing sobs, and I began my story, my throat still thick with tears. I told him about everything I'd been through since Paris. I told him about my depression, Fang, the explosion, Angel being a spy, my new life, the powers, my dreams, everything. I even told him about Luminara, a fact that didn't seem to phase him in the least. Actually, he looked a lot less confused after I told him than before.

"Well," he said after I had finished. "It seems as though I was wrong after all. You definately had it worse." he said, trying to lighten the mood. "It also explains why you are always being shot at too..."

"Yeah...but that's more of my mission than anything." I said, wiping my nose and eyes one more time. They were both probably red as tomatoes by now.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I was just worried." he apologized.

"You have a funny way of showing it." I laughed.

"Ha, yeah, well, some people fuss, others yell. I'm a yeller." he smiled wide.

"No? Really? I never would've guessed." I pretended to be shocked as he laughed, his good humor restored. I even joined in on that one, my face getting even redder, if that was even possible.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You seem too chill to be a yeller."

"Huh. That's a first..." he shrugged. "And I'm sorry for following you too. Again, I was worried that you were going to go off and do something stupid and get hurt. Turns out I was right."

"Well, I'm glad you were." I smiled at him sincerely. "If not, I may not be here right now."

He nodded and looked down, turing his back to me so he faced the door. I heard cluttering from down the hall and raised voices seconds later. Warren rolled his eyes; his face looked pained.

"Hey, I have to get back to planning a party. Are you okay being here by yourself?"

"A party?"

"Yeah, just some stupid benefit party for one of my dad's various charities. Nothing even remotely interesting."

"Sounds...fun?" I said, not knowing what else to say even though I sounded completely stupid.

He smiled at me and shook his head. He was about to leave, his body half way through the doorframe when I could no longer contain my curiousity. I had to know something...

"Warren?" I called.

"Yes?" he turned around, his head peaking out from behind the other side.

"I told you my entire story. Why aren't you like freaking out over the dead girl or something?"

He laughed again, making his way back to the edge of my bed.

"You know, you're not the strangest thing I have encountered. I've seen and heard a lot freakier."

"But his is just beyond wierd, beyond science! This is-"

"Magic?" Yeah, I know, it's crazy, but I've seen it before, especially that kind." he said pointing at me.

"What do you mean 'this kind'?"

"I mean _Her_ magic. I've seen it before. Gold is usually Her calling card. I can't believe that I didn't pick it up before."

I looked at him in utter disbelief. This was just too strange. How could he have possibly seen anything like this before?

"Okay Mr. Magic." I said, the sarcasm dripping from my lips. "Do you have any advice on what I should do?"

"Well, you have to destroy ITEX leaders, and your 'friend' Angel is one of them, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, just go and find her. Find her and end her. Easy as that."

"That's not very helpful."

"Why not?"

"Because if it was that easy, I would've already done it. Trust me."

"I don't think so."

"Why?"

"I think you are afraid of confronting her."

"And why would I be afraid of a seven year old?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Whatever." I said, shaking off the subject. "And what about the power?"

"I'd leave it alone. Leave it until I needed it."

"Again, easier said than done."

"Jesus Max, you actually need to try before you give up!"

"What do you think I've been doing?"

"I don't know, and I don't care!" he said, getting up. "Max, it's your life. Do what you want with it, but don't use that power too much. Too much power is always a bad thing."

"That's what She said."

"She's a smart lady. Listen to Her. Do what She says, not me. But mostly, do what you want to do. You only have two weeks left Max. Make them count for something."

"Thanks Warren." I said, my head nodding up and down as I processed out conversation.

He nodded back and was about to head out the door again when I was struck with the most perfect idea. It was so perfect that it was almost evil, and I almost felt evil for thinking about it. But, I had to end this or else we would all be ended.

"Warren?" I called again.

"Yes?"

"You said you were throwing a party?"

"Yes."

"When is it?"

"Two weeks from yesterday? Why?"

"And are you still sending invites?"

"They haven't gone out yet. Max, I don't see-"

"Warren, I need you to do me a favor." I said, my face very serious.

"Sure." he said, a little bit cautious. I was pretty sure he was trying to list any possible risks involved with helping me again.

"Can you add six more names to the list? I have some old friends that I would like to invite."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Fang**

I was asleep the entire plane ride to New York. I really hated flying in these stupid metal boxes; I much preferred my own style of flying via wings. Still, this way would get us farther away faster and right now, that was a good thing. We desperately needed to get away from that house.

It was a good flight compared to the others I had been on before, ones with lots of fighting and stress, but it was an oddly silent one at that. It wasn't a good silence either, it was one of complete and utter awkwardness. We were acting like we were strangers forced to sit next to each other. I swear, if Gazzy looked any more pained sitting next to Nudge, he'd be sick.

That's when I decided to sleep, to escape all the noise that the silence brang. I thought that sleep would be an escape, but I was wrong. It only raised more questions, ones far bigger and more confusing than ever before.

_I woke up on the floor of a golden palace, one with muraled walls and ancient furniture. It was gorgeous, but completely unfamiliar. I heard voices, soft voices, coming from down the hall, so I followed blindly, hoping to be lead in some right direction. As I turned a corner however, my heart stopped as I saw two giant, golden women standing at least 30 feet tall right in front of a set of giant double golden doors. The voices were coming from inside, so I decided to move forward, against my head and body both screaming no. I kept going and going and going and the two women didn't stop me, not even when I passed them and phased straight through the door._

_I touched my body, freaking out and making sure I was all there. I had just phased through a door! That wasn't even possible, unless it was some sort of new ability. The golden women didn't stop me either. I don't even think they saw me, did they?_

_I shook my head, only to stop and stare once more. I was in some kind of observitory, but it was much more real, like the stars were so close I could touch them. The midnight clouds seemed to pour into the room and fade away, giving sight to various floating, silver orbs, each with a different tint of color. They were beautiful, but I didn't touch them; something about them was warning me not to._

_I turned back around only to face a very large throne and a very large woman seated in it. She was as tall, if not taller than the guards, and twice as beautiful, with long raven hair and purple eyes. She was as gorgeous as everything else in the palace, if not even more so._

_But still, there were so many questions running through my mind. What was this place? Where the hell was I and why wasn't she paying any attention to me? There were too many to count._

_Suddenly, she started shrinking and shrinking and shrinking until she was about my hieght or possibly a little shorter. It was then when I saw why she wasn't paying any attention to me. There was someone else here as well, someone with long golden hair and tanned skin with an hourglass figure. From behind, she was gorgeous, but I couldn't see her face. _

_"And what about the mission?" I barely heard her say. I recognized that voice, though something was different about it. Where was it from?_

_"You will have to complete it by the sunrise that day, or all may be lost." the purple lady responded._

_I heard them exchange a few other words, totally confused and baffled by what I was seeing, something I obviously shouldn't have seen. Then, just as soon as she appeared, the golden girl disappeared in a flash, leaving me alone in this unknown place._

_With her gone, the woman turned her violet eyes on me, their infinite depths seeing right through me. I felt strangely insecure and tried to turn around to go back. I didn't want any part of what this lady was doing._

_"Do not be afraid of me, Fang." she said, her voice almost soothing._

_"How-how do you know my name?" I asked carefully._

_"I know everything." she said with a smile. I smiled back tenitively. "Come, join me."_

_I nodded and came closer to her outstretched arm. It was so wierd, being with this strange woman, yet comforting at the same time. It was like being with the mother I never knew; I just felt so safe._

_"I am sure you must be confused as to why I called you here."_

_"Here? Where is here? And you 'called' me?" I was seriously confused, and she wasn't helping the situation._

_She laughed a laugh that sounded like windchimes or a bell tinkling. It was surprisingly sweet and incredibly high pitched for someone of her magnitude._

_"Yes, I called you here in your dreams. And this place is my kingdom, The Isles de Lune."_

_"So, I'm asleep?" I asked, clearing things up._

_"Yes."_

_"And your kingdom, is in my dreams?"_

_She laughed again. "Not exclusively, no. My kingdom is cut off from the mortal, human realm, and dreams are one of only three ways to access it, death and possessing my seal being the other two."_

_"So when I wake up...?"_

_"You have never left the plane Fang. Your mind has merely wandered and found its way here, or in your case, I called your mind here."_

_"But...Why?"_

_"Because you are about to go through difficult trials, ones that you may not understand yet, but given time, you will learn to accept."_

_"Okay..."_

_"Trust your friends Fang, your true friends, but most of all, trust her. When the time comes, they will help you through, she more than anyone."_

_"Okay, but...wait. Who is 'she'?"_

_"I just wanted to warn you Fang. You have been invited and in two weeks time you will have to choose. I hope and pray that you choose well. It may make all the difference."_

_"What are you talking about?" I shouted. Was she crazy?_

_She lifted her arm, pointing to a giant, red orb, growing by the second, sucking other smaller orbs up, eating them and crushing them into its giant mass. There was one, small orb still off to the side, glimmering with the smallest bits of golden power. It was the sole surviver of the massacre._

_"What is this?"_

_"I am the foreseer of pathways, of choices. It is the duty in which I was tasked with in the beginning and thus the source of my unlimited knowledge." she explained, her eyes never leaving the giant orb. "This pathway here is one that has been growing for years, its malevolent force devouring anything in its path, destroying all other possible choices by the second. It is growing too powerful to contain, and I am afraid, if not stopped soon, it may become a reality."_

_"And what happens then."_

_"Chaos. Destruction. The end of humanity as we know it."_

_"Well, if you're so all powerful, why don't you do something? Why haven't you stopped it yet?"_

_"Being an immortal being, I cannot interfere with the lives of men, I can only influence their fates. I have already sent one to stop this terrible fate, and if she succeeds, then all will be well. I have faith in her. She will succeed."_

_"I hope so, because that is a lot of responsibility for one person. The wieght of the world is literally on her shoulders."_

_"I know. But she is strong enough to do what needs to be done."_

_"What needs to be done?"_

_"Sorry. I have said too much." she said, her face becoming cloudy for a moment. "But you, must also be prepared, for your trials will be equally as important. You must be the one to pick up where my herald has left off after she returns."_

_"After she returns? What, is she going to die or something?"_

_"You'll see." she said with a smile. "I just thought it fair to warn you, to give you your own mission so that when the time comes, you'll know what to do."_

_I smiled back slowly, still trying to process all that she was saying. I was going to respond, but I felt strangely wierd all of the sudden. My vision started to flicker and the room was phasing in and out._

_"Ah. You are awakening and so our connection is fading"_

_I looked around again, the flickering worsening._

_"Remember to trust. Always trust your true friends, and you will never go wrong."_

_I nodded, my hair whipping around my face as the wind seemed to pick up._

_"Goodbye." were the last words I read off of her lips as the image of the room was shattered around me, and I felt like I was falling a million miles an hour, ready to crash._

My eyes opened to a burst of blinding white light and the hovering shadow of one, really annoying seven year old who was slapping me repeatedly in the face.

"Fang! Fang wake up!" she shouted at me, obviously ticked.

"What..." I asked groggily. I felt like I was drunk, my head spinning, my eyes burning.

"Well finally! Jesus, you thought we were trying to wake up a brick!"

"Sorry, I just had the...wierdest dream." I held my head in one hand, trying to make the throbbing go away.

"I don't care about some stupid dream! I have been trying to wake you for an hour now!"

"Really? It only felt...a few minutes...?"

"Well, maybe in Fang-land it was a few minutes, but it was more like ten straight effing hours in the real world! You gave all of us a God-damn heart attack!" she yelled louder, just in case the people in China didn't hear her. All it did was make my head pound harder.

"Geez Angel! Quiet! You're giving me a headache! And since when do you curse?"

"Since I was scared out of my freaking mind that you had died en route!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm fine now, I'm up, so let's go." I pushed my way past her and out of the plane, only to find an empty runway.

"Where is everyone?"

"It has been an hour Fang." Angel said, appearing next to me. "I sent them all ahead to the hotel room while I stayed here with you."

"Hotel room?" I asked, skeptical of the safety of being out in public view 24/7.

"Where did you expect us to stay? A sleazy motel?"

"Well, a hotel is a little, no a lot-"

"It's fine Fang. We're in a big city and for the first time, ITEX isn't hunting us. I think we're safe."

I frowned at her, but after a few minutes, I gave up. What was the use? I sure as hell didn't care where we stayed.

"Whatever. I just hope your right."

She beamed at me and lead me off the plane and into the waiting taxi parked a few feet away.

"Thanks for waiting." Angel beamed and he dazily smiled back, his eyes glassy and wide, scaring the hell out of me. He was clearly under her influence.

"Take us to-" and she named some really long, fancy street adress while I wondered just how much she spent on this little expursion. After a few moments of calculating, I decided I really didn't want to know.

Besides, my mind was way too wrapped up in that dream of mine. It had felt so real, yet it had to have been a dream. But somewhere deep inside, I knew it was real. There was a real danger and there was someone out there fighting it alone. I had to find that person; I had to help and maybe I could start with the girl in gold.

**Max**

After a few days of bedrest, I was totally healed and had never felt better. It was wierd for me to be up and about so fast after what had happened, given all of my injuries. I know that I had accelerated healing before, but this was like double time. Warren told me that my shattered femur had healed almost instantly as soon as he lifted the beams up off me and that most of my broken bones were already mended by the time I was back at his house. It was the internal damage that had nearly killed me, but after a few days on the ventilator, my lungs were as healthy as ever, the smoke completely cleared from my entire body. It was as if it had never happened. There wasn't a single scar or scratch on my entire body.

It was also strange, yet pleasantly relieving to have Warren know about me now. He was less overbearing and let me be, but he still kept out a watchful eye, something I was grateful for. He acted like a silent older brother, and that's what he was to me. He didn't ask any questions, nor did he press himself into my life. He just let me be, and I appreciated that.

But, there was still something I had to do, something that Warren probably wasn't going to agree with. I had to do it though, I had to. It wasn't really an option at this point. I had questions and there was only one person left who could answer them.

I was stupid in killing Jeb. Not because I didn't want to, God knows that would be a lie, but because he could've been useful. Having him around to answer my questions would've made things a lot easier. Now, I had to track down the only other person who could help me, and thankfully, they were here in New York.

Still, I cleaned myself up, put on some decent travelling clothes consisting of skinny jeans and a black, scoopneck sweater, slipped on my boots, and headed out. I would've gone by unnoticed, but I caught Warren at the foot of the staircase surrounded by at least a dozen different party planners, none of which were the same as yesterday. They were all waving swatches, plates, and choices of all kinds in his face. I felt bad for him, I really did, but I had to go. I had no time to worry over him. He was a grown adult who could definately handle some planners, despite how crazy they were becoming. Yesterday, I saw two of them get into a literal fist fight over napkins. This party must be one big deal.

I was just about to leave when I heard my name along with the disgruntled shouts of others. I turned to see Warren running my way, shaking off the overly-clingly planners who did not looked so pleased at all.

"Hey Max!" he said, completely out of breath. "Where are you going?"

"I have to uh- visit a friend who lives here in New York."

"A friend?" he repeated, obviously seeing the lie in there.

"Yeah. And I uh- am gonna be late, so-" I nodded and looked away, back at the door, then to the floor. Basically anywhere but his icy blue eyes.

"No one's going to die while you visit this 'friend', will they?" he asked in all seriousness.

"Warren, you know me well enough by now..." I shuffled my feet.

"Yeah, well, don't make a mess." he said, his eyes a little pained, a lot worried. "I can't come save you all the time you know?"

"I know." I said with a small, strong smile.

"Well, then, duty calls. Have fun visiting your 'friend'." he waved to me and reluctantly headed back to the mob of angry party planners.

"Wait, have the invites gone out yet?" I called to him as he was about halfway down the hall.

"They're being sent out today, but we can't seem to get an adress for your friends."

"Figures." I mumbled.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked.

"You don't need an adress, just send it to his blog." I said as if it were obvious.

"Whose blog?"

"Fang's. Send it to Fang's blog."

"What's the URL?"

"You'll find it, trust me." I smiled, opening the door, leaving Warren to the planning. He was probably pissed, but I wasn't worried about him right now. He was smart. He'd figure it out.

Now, it was time to pay an old friend a very unexpected visit.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry I haven't updated lately. I've been busy with family stuff and a sickness that won't go away and my other two stories. I also know I've been beating around the bush with the whole Max on a rampage thing, but it has good purpose, trust me. It's actually going to end soon, jumping into the climax of my story! Anyway, please enjoy!**

Chapter 19

**Max**

It was so strange to just walk the streets of New York City, to just walk them as if I were just another face in the never ending crowd. My wings wouldn't work in this large mass of people, even the skies were crowded with skyscrapers and large screen TVs. Everything was so busy, so crowded, and it made me feel normal for the first time in forever. I felt llike I belonged. Maybe I could settle down there when this all was over, get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life...

_No Max, you're dead, remember? You don't have a future_." I reminded myself mentally, something I found myself doing more and more often. Why was this so hard to except, my own mortality. I guess years of being 'invincible' had clouded my perspective on death. Now, I had an overabundance of experience.

I guess that's what I liked about New York, it was so alive. Nothing even remotely seemed dead, everything was constantly alive. That would've kept me on edge in the past, but now it was soothing. The noise blocked out all my thought, kept my head clear and my mind focused. It was a refreshing change from old motel rooms and grimy diners. That and hospital beds. I could live my whole life without even going near another one of those.

After a while of aimless walking, I actually decided to go through with the plan formulating in my head. I already knew where I had to go, the question was, would I actually go and see the person I needed to see. I couldn't guarentee that nothing would go wrong, but I had to risk it. I had to know the truth about who I was.

Swallowing fear, I wheeled around, against the flow of traffic, and turned hard onto a back alleyway besides 58th street. It was totally empty and looked like the place where everyone got robbed or raped in the horror movies. Thankfully, it was broad daylight, and the punks I did see went running as soon as I flashed them my golden eyes from behind my extra dark RayBans, courtesy of Warren.

I had decided to wrap my hair up into a snow cap and to wear glasses to stay low profile. I was, after all, technically a wanted murderer. I was also public enemy number one to any black market business out there. First ITEX goes down and they think they're next. Please. I didn't care one iota about them. They could go ahead and sell meth or acid as far as I cared. The cops would get them at some point. Hell, they'd win gold medals for it!

As the alleyway ended, I took a right and then another left before ending up on a very business oriented street. There were coorporate buildings up everywhere, but I wasn't looking for one of the big ones. No, ITEX was smart. If they were up to something, they'd have the common sense to do it underground.

After a few moments of looking, my eyes almost passed over a small, meager building, yet it was still tall enough to pass by without suspicion. It looked older, about a hundred years older, but it still worked, I could feel it. This was it. This was the ITEX HQ. Now, to visit my friend...

**Fang**

After I saw the hotel Angel and I pulled up at, I thought nothing could cost more money than to stay there. I was almost immediately proven wrong when she took us out to go see a Broadway show that very same night, and then got us into the afterparty, which I politely declined. She went along with Nudge, Dylan, and Gazzy, but Iggy and I took a cab back to the room and just chilled for the night. We ordered in pizza and played X-box and did whatever we wanted without asking for the pricetag. We were tired of asking when the answer we got was always, "I have my ways." with a very devious smile. I was scared to know what she had done to get us all of this.

I was just about to shut down Call of Duty Black Ops for the night, Iggy had passed out on the couch a few minutes earlier, when I heard the door creak slowly opened. My senses went into overdrive, my muscles clenching, preparing for attack, when I saw the giddy figures of two girls and two guys stumbling through the door. I sighed and released my tensed body. It was just a normal reaction, something Max taught all of us to have, just in case. I couldn't count how many times that had saved our lives before in the past.

I thougt about Maya for some strange reason. I wondered what she was doing, how she was doing. I hadn't seen her since I left her a few weeks prior, and since then she could've been caught. She was a wanted woman and I had promised to protect her. Another one of the promises that I couldn't keep, both to girls with the same face...

I reclined back into the couch, scooting over the sleeping Iggy to get a look at the clock. It was one a.m. in the morning. They all came in smelling like cigarette smoke and alcohol, but I nkew it wasn't them. I knew what was going to be at the party, but they were smart kids, I trusted them to do the right thing. They were stumbling about in exhaustion, Gazzy collapsing on the opposite couch as soon as his face hit the pillow.

"So, how was the party?" I asked, really disinterested. I never really cared for parties...or people.

"It was so much fun! There were celebritiees and fabulous foods and dancing and everyone was wearing the prettiest dresses!" Nudge gushed, her face gleaming with sweat. SHe'd obviously been the one dancing "You sure missed out Fang."

"Of course." I let out a small smile for Nudge. At least someone was having fun.

"Yes, well, it was quite entertaining." Angel said vaugely. I didn't really care.

"Well, I think it's time that you both went to bed." I pointed to the rooms opposite me. "I'll get Gazzy."

There was groaning and complaining, but eventually, they all went to bed, Nudge practiacall passing out on her bed, still dressed in her party clothes. I shook my head and turned off the lights in her room before going to tuck in Gazzy. All I did was plop him in his bed and flick the switch. He wouldn't care. I left Iggy on the couch. There was no way in hell I was picking him up. I didn't know what happened to Dylan, but I could hear snoring from his room, so I didn't question. He could go fall off a roof for all I cared.

As for myself, I just kicked back on the sofa and stared into the bare wall in front of me. I couldn't sleep. That wierd dream I had was keeping me up, making me really confused.

Who was the girl in gold? Where could I find her? Why is she working alone? What was she trying to take down?And what did the lady mean when she said she'd be 'called back'? There were too many questions with little information to answer them with.

This had been eating at me all night and was part of the reason why I didn't want to go to the party. I had to find the golden girl. Now, granted, I had no idea what I was going to do or say when I found her, but I knew I had to try and help. This was my problem now too.

**Max**

I stalked outside of the shady office building for hours until the sun went down and there were all but a few people left inside. I didn't know how, but I knew that my 'friend' was one of the ones left. I could feel it. Sucking up all of my worries and fears, I made my way up the old concrete steps and pulled open the glass double doors. There was no going back now.

The inside looked almost exactly like the facility I had been in previously, the furniture bare and clean cut, tiled floors and stainless steel elevators included. This was beyond wierd, unless the offices were supposed to be freakishly uniform. However, there was a receptionist at the front desk, her bony face making her hard to look at.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice rather raspy and cold.

"Yes, actually, I was looking for your boss. I have an interview with him in a few minutes and I-"

"Top floor, last office to your left." she waved me off, poking her beak nose to the elevators to the side. She didn't even ask any questions as to why a random teenager was roaming through the offices at eleven at night. Some secretary. The hiring requirements here must be pretty low. That, or this place had seen some much more sketchier shit. I was afraid to know the answer.

I pushed the button and the elevator came down to a screeching stop. Unlike the other place, these elevators were extremely slow. I honestly would've preferred the super fast ones over this. Anyway, I pressed the button fo level 15, the top floor, and the ancient bucket made its way up the shaft, slowly creeping along. Now, I'm normally not a patient person, and this elevator was not helping at all. I felt like sending it up in smoke, but seeing as though I was still in it, that would've been unwise.

The thing finally let me off on the top floor, one that mirrored the one I had burned down a few days ago. Honestly, that was creepy too, especially because the office I was going to was in the same spot as Jeb's. It was beyond coincidence.

Still, I knocked on the door and when I heard no response, I let myself in. This office was different, the furniture was much more complete with a sofa, a TV, a mini bar, and a few supply stations and machines. I sat myself down in the huge spinning chair behind the collosal sized desk and waited some more for my 'friend' to arrive. I didn't look at the computer, ITEX had nothing left for me to steal, nor did I trash the place. I exercised total control and just sat, stared out the panoramic window, and waited.

I waited for a few minutes, maybe hours, I don't know, before I heard voices coming from down the hall. It sounded like my 'friend' was talking to some other colleague about his latest project. It was some nerd stuff that I completely lost interest in. I went back to staring at celing tiles unitl I heard the office doors reopen and heard the heavy breaths of one very familiar scientist.

"Good evening Dr. Hans." I said briskly, not turning to face him. He would have to squirm for a few minutes.

"Who-who are you? How did you get into my office?" he asked, his speech just a tad slurred. He smelled of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Great, the one day I need answers, he comes in completely useless.

"That is none of your concern." I waved him off. "Please, sit down."

This was probably the most polite I had ever been to him, but there weas a silent command inside my words that he new to obey. He was scared of me and so he took a chair from one of the other tables and pulled it up to the desk, facing the back of my chair.

"I need you to tell me everything you know about the Maximum Ride project." I asked with force.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I couldn't see his pace, but his now sober words made his reaction clear. His face probably paled within a second.

"Now doctor, don't lie to me." I said, a hint of mockery on my lips. "I know that you were one of the main scientists assigned to the project."

"That was a very long time ago." he sputtered.

"Well, think. I'm sure a man of your prestige can do something as simple as that." I replied sarcastically.

"It was a weapons project." he said finally. "It was designed to be a tool for espionage and black ops missions, genetiaclly modified to be much stronger and faster than a normal man along with the ablility of fight and acute senses of hearing and sight. The ultimate goal was that it was to be used as an assassin or a secret weapon of sorts as leaverage over the world."

"And did you succeed?"

"No." he swallowed hard. "The subject went missing before recieving her final treatments to finish her designs and programming. We were finally able to locate her after many years. She was terminated under the accusations of being called a threat and liability."

"What about the others? Weren't there more?"

"There were, but they were for a different project, one that we ran along with our Eraser program. We were trying to find a way to make a better soldier, a stronger soldier. The avian hybrids were one of our few successes. They were not, however, involved with the Maximum Ride project. All they did was take the avian gene and place it into the child for extra power." he sucked in a deep breath and continued. "We were actually planning on retiring the avian hybrids permanently. Our original idea was for the project to destroy them as her final training test, but now with Maximum Ride gone, they may serve some use to us."

"And...what about the DNA?" I pressed on, ignoring my urge to punch something.

"Well, it worked. She was just like the others, but she would've been much more if she would've gotten her final programming in. It was the set that would activate her more advanced powers."

"And if she were to recive her final programming?" What would've happened?"

"Most likely she would be under ITEX's lock and key. She'd be their most valuable asset, containing more strength than ten men and speeds faster than a cheetah on land but past the sound barrier in the air. She would also be under ITEX's complete control due to the fact that we implanted a chip in her arm as a small infant that allowed us to trace her and even, if needed, to control her movements."

"Allowed? You say that like it was in the past."

"Well, she removed it a few years back. That and, she's dead."

I snorted at this, my anger and disgust at everything rising inside the pit of my stomach like boing water.

"Excuse me, but why does it matter to you?"

"It does matter. It matters a lot." I said shortly. "That girl was everything to me..."

"Who are you?" he asked, confusion riveting through his voice.

I scoffed at him, but soon, it turned to laughter, which then turned into hysterics, which then ended up with me spinning my chair around to face this spineless pig in front of me. I watched his face drop as I giddily removed my hair from my hat, the golden locks contrasting to the moonlight pouring into the room and as I dropped my glasses on the desk, landing with a heavy clunk.

It wasn't my golden looks that terrified him. He already knew about the golden monster, it was just the realization to who it was that was shocking him. He looked like he was going to keel over, his body riveted and deathly pale.

"It's you..." he gasped, his eyes roving my face.

"You sound surprised..." I said, meniachal laughter in my voice.

"But you're supposed to be-"

"Yes well, next time, don't place your trust into power crazy seven year olds."

"How-how did you-" he was still stutering.

"I didn't." I snapped, gliding to him and hoisting him up into the air by his suspenders in a matter of seconds. "Now, enough questions. I'm not done with my turn." I gave him a crooked smile as he flailed in my arms.

"What do you want..." he asked shakily.

"Were you the one who cut me open? Who gave me wings? Or were you the one who would run all of the test and jab needles into my arms as I flailed on the operating table?" I asked harshly, ignoring his question and slamming him up against the wall.

"No, I bet you were just the overlooker. You wanted to see if I would survive so you could go and clone me! That stupid Dylan freak!" I shrieked. "Am I wrong?"

He didn't respond, all he did was let one golf ball sized tear run down his pudgy face. I took that as a no and slowly lowered him down to the ground, releasing his shirt, but not his suspenders. He was shaking violently but I felt no pity. Everything about him disgusted me.

"Thank you for answering my questions doctor. You've made everything _crystal_ clear."

I got choked up by the last line. I had to look away, just as disgusted with him as I was with myself. I felt so dirty and used, like I was some kind of evil on Earth. here I was trying to save the God-damn world I was the bad guy all along. I would've loved to have let loose right now, set the beast on and blow this place sky high, but for once, I didn't want to. I just felt so lost, so betrayed by everything. I felt betrayed by my own self.

"I am so sorry Maximum. If there is anything I can do-" Dr Hans was trying to bargain with me, trying to get me to spare his life. I was, after all, the golden monster, the bane of ITEX and destroyer of everything. Why shouldn't I live up to that standard now? It was, after all, what I was created to be.

As much as I should've let loose, I didn't. I kept myself calm enough to look him in the beady, black eyes. He was a no good liar, a thief with no honesty, just like every other ITEX whitecoat and manager. Just like Angel.

"It's alright Doctor." I said monotonusly, his body silently crumbling around me in my hands, his form dissolving silently into black dust at my feet. I felt my fingers sift through the last of him, not even looking, the remaining grainules floating to the floor. "You've done enough."

I got up silently, got my cap and glasses, and moved as slowly as I could down the halls, dissolving every security camera on sight. I didn't care what this place was up to, I just wanted out. I was, after all, one of them.

As I exited the building and rejoined the masses, it didn't feel the same as before. I felt like an outsider, like I had a giant target painted on my head, yet no one was noticing. It was strange, being in control of this enormous power. It was a feeling of absolute confidence, yet at the same time, I felt absolutely alone. And, I would say it was far more scarier than losing control.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**Fang**

I hadn't even realized it was morning until I heard the sounds of footsteps scuttling across the fancy hardwood floors of the hotel room. I had spent the entire night gazing at the wall in front of me, not moving or blinking, until my eyes had glazed over for lack of moisture. I wasn't sure if I had subconciously gone to sleep or if time had simply sped up around me, but one thing was for sure. I had to find the golden girl, I had to. I don't know how, but I knew she needed help and fast.

But, this obviously wasn't the time for plotting. Angel would be up in a matter of seconds and my thoughts wouldn't be safe around her. I didn't know why, but I felt like I couldn't trust her. It was strange. It was as if ever since my dream, I could sense things off of people more than he ever could before. It was unsettling, but made me think about things in a different light. Never had I doubted so many people before in his life.

As if on que, Angel appeared out of her master suite, a golden light seeming to radiate from her body. She was absolutely radiating with happiness, but I had no idea why. Too bad that this new sense couldn't give me all the answers.

Still, she proceeded to skip to the kitchen and pick up the roomservice card. She pondered it for a second before looking up to meet my questioning gaze.

"What do you think Fang? Should I get a ham and cheese omlette or jumbo waffles with strawberry sauce?" she asked, her voice perky with excitement.

"How about both?" I suggested, shrugging my shoulders.

We were bird kids with abnormally large stomachs. Granted, mine hadn't been that hungry at all since Max died. It had died with her. Anyway, we normally ate twice if not triple that amount for every meal of the day.

"Great!" she smiled, "Fang, you're a genious." and bounced to the phone, ordering both.

I sighed as I listened to the overly nice conversation, hearing it once more when the guy arrived at the door nearly five minutes later. I had never really realized her amazing abilities to kiss ass. It was astounding how many adults fell right into her, playing with them in her hands like putty. It was also, quite frankly, very scary.

"When the guy finally left, she rolled her eyes and nearly swallowed the food whole. It was gone in seconds before my eyes. She licked her fingers with a disatisfied sigh and plopped down next to me, her face twisted into a scowl of sorts.

"What? The food bad?" I asked, not totally caring.

"It was cold and the strawberries were tart." she pursed her lips. She was obviously annoyed.

"Are you gonna complain or something?"

"No. It's not worth my time." she waved her hand. "Iggy could cook circles around them."

"I bet he could..." I said, exhaling deeply. I honestly did not care about food.

I was beginning to scare myself. I didn't seem to care about anything at all now adays, not even the flock. I didn't care how Iggy or Gazzy were doing. I didn't care how Angel was or about what she did. I would always blow off her stories and space out. I must really be coming off as an ass. The only person I truely care about is Nudge, but that was only because we were the only ones trying to figure things out.

I think that was what was causing the diconnect. The flock was totally willing to let Max be, but Nudge and I wanted closure. We wanted to find out and couldn't understand how everyone was just letting this slide, Angel especially. She and Dylan both were trying to act like nothing had happened, which I guess is good, trying to get us to move on, but it was too soon. We needed time to mourn and Angel calling the leader spot and taking us to New York is not the way to help us forget and move past everything. If anything, now that I had that dream, it was causing the rift to expand.

"Hello? Earth to Fang?"

I saw a hand waving in front of my face and refocused my vision. Shaking my head out, I was able to see Angel still sitting next to me, waving her tiny hands in front of my face.

"Yeah? Sorry. I'm here."

"Geez, did you sleep out here last night?" she asked, apparently noticing the dark circles rimming my eyes like shadows.

"You could say that..."

"Did you sleep at all?"

"No."

"Well, that's stupid!" she crossed her arms, her lips sticking out in an authoritative pout. "Why didn't you sleep?"

"I can't."

"Is this because of Max?" she tried to look concerned, but she just came off as looking annoyed. I didn't respond to her.

"Fang, this trip is about letting go!" She exclaimed. "Trust me, you'll feel a lot better if you let Max go. It's what she would've wanted."

I looked into her sparkling eyes. seeing all of the cheer with non of the sympathy. I wondered if she even missed Max, if she even cared. They were the closest out of all of the flock, besides she and I. There was a time when I thought that this was just a mask that she put on to stay tough and in control, but now, I was beginning to doubt her. It looked as if she genuinely looked happy that Max was gone, and maybe she was. I didn't know. She was always out for Max's spot as leader. Who says that she isn't glad that Max is out of her way now to have it.

Yet, I pulled on a smile, watching her own falter as I stupidly forgot she was a telepath.

"It's okay to doubt me Fang. I know you're hurt, but I loved her just as much as you did." she said sincerely.

She pulled me into a hug, one that felt cold and strange. I returned it, only thinking 'happy' thoughts so that she didn't peek into my mind again. When she released me, she was back to being perky and bubbly as ever.

"Well, I'm going to go take a bath." she announced cheerily to the recently awoken Iggy and Dylan. They were both in their pajamas and were both just as frightened as I was to see Angel skipping around the house. Dylan's jaw hit the floor while Iggy looked dazed as he picked up on her humming. I flashed them both a 'welcome to the last ten minutes of my life' look and they both stalked away into the bathroom, leaving me alone again.

"And Fang, think about what I said." she called from the bathroom door. I nodded in her direction and then went back to staring at the blank space of wall in front of me.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the dream out of my head, that and Max's death. There was something in both of those that wasn't summing up. I knew that somewhere deep in my heart that these two were connected somehow, that the golden girl's mission and Max's death were connected. I didn't know how or why, I just knew.

I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts, that I didn't hear someone sit down next to me. A hand reached out to touch my shoulder and I literally jumped up and over the couch.

"Whoa, relax Fang. It's just me." said a feminine voice.

I got up and tried to de-frazzle myself. I was so on edge that I had totally freaked out at the sight of Nudge who was now trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. She had curled herself up on the couch, her legs tucked in to her. I could see her body shaking, and eventually, she was able to crack a smile out of me.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, hopping back over the couch and sitting back down in the spot that my butt had permanently marked on it.

"So, what was that about? You get hyped up on caffine already?"

"No, just...a lot on my mind." I sighed and looked past Nudge, out the window. There was an amazing view on the twentyth floor of the Ritz, but it couldn't beat the views of old fashioned flying.

"Well, I'm about to give you a lot more to think about."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a little skeptical.

"I mean this." she said, pulling out the old laptop we had confiscated from an ITEX place a really long time ago.

"An old laptop?"

"No...this."

She opened it up to my blog page, something that I hadn't updated in ages. Still, there were comments posted up every minute from what my raptor vision could pick up.

"Why are you on my blog?"

"I don't know really." she said with the most curious look on her face. It was one of doubt and confusion. "All I know is that, last night, I had a dream, no, more like images of a giant woman, then I woke up this morning with the most terrible ringing in my ears and a voice telling me to check your blog. I did, and I found this."

She clicked on a tab in the top right corner, one that hadn't been there before. She clicked it and a message appeared, one that looked fancy and important, even from a computer screen.

"It's an invitation." Nudge explained, still looking confused. "It's for some humanitarian or green cause at some billionaire's mansion next week."

"Warren Worthington." I said to myself. "Worthington...Where have I heard that name before?"

"I don't know." Nudge shrugged her shoulders and sank back into the couch. "This is all too confusing."

"Maybe this invite was supposed to be for Max. She was the green speaker after all. Maybe they just forgot to cancel it?" I tried to make sense of it, but the rationale was lame and highly unlikely.

"No. The invite was sent a few days ago. And it was adressed to all of us by name. Max's wasn't one of them."

"Maybe it was a pity invite?"

"I don't know Fang. I don't know..."

We sat there for a few minutes just staring at the screen. This made no sense. We were never invited to parties or anything, especially not a black tie, high profile, charity ball like this one. It was way out of our league.

A few seconds later, the familiar humming commenced, and we felt the humid flow of steam pourring out from the hall. The light footsteps grew closer and closer and closer until they stopped. Unfortunately, they had to stop right behind the couch, right behind me.

"Hey, whatcha looking at?" Angel asked all cheery. She was really creeping me out with the Sally Sunshine act.

"Nothing." I tried to brush it off, to let her go away for once, but instead she grabbed the laptop and opened it to see for herself.

After a few seconds, we saw her jaw drop, and her eyes light up. "A party! We got invited to a party at Worthington Mansion!"

"Apparently." I said monotonusly. "Hey, does the name Worthington ring a bell to you?"

Her face faltered just a tad bit, but remained excited none the less. "No. I've never heard it before. Why?"

"I don't know. It just...sounds familiar."

"Well, I've never heard of it, but we should totally go!"

"Why? What's the point?"

"What's the point?" Angel asked, completely shocked. "The point is that, how often do we get invited to first class, exclusive, black tie parties like this? It is the opprotunity of a lifetime!"

Nudge and I remained unconvinced.

"Come on Angel. It's just a stupid party." Nudge sighed.

"Nudge, I'm shocked! This is the perfect excuse to do your hair and make up and dress up in the dresses we could only dream of wearing!" she gushed. "We would spend the entire night as princesses! Besides, we need a distraction from our distraction. We need to live a little."

Nudge and I exchanged looks, both ones of extreme tiredness and stress.

"Please? A little partying could do us some good. And it's not like we'll be out at a club or anything. We'll be doing something for a good cause, one that Max supported. What'd ya say?"

She pulled on a sad smile, one that would tug on the heartstrings of even the toughest men. Honestly, it worked a little on me too. Angel was a very convincing sales person, but something else was driving me to go.

"Fine." Nudge grumbled. "I'll give it a chance."

I nodded, making Angel beam even more than before.

"Yay! Now, I'll just click accept and tell the others the good news!" she spun in circles, twirling like a balletrina. At least someone was having fun. "And we'll go dress shopping and tux shopping and shoe shopping. All kinds of shopping! And we'll get our hair done..."

Angel had pulled Nudge off with her to be victim to her planning. I would've felt bad for her but I had too much on my mind to worry about a party. All I knew was that there was someone out there who needed my help and that this party was somehow connected to it all as well. This was all too strange to be coincidence.

That was the only reason I said yes to going. I knew that this girl, the one from my vision, would be at the party. I would find her and I would help her. I had to.

**Max**

It felt like a normal day, one that started off like every other, except it wasn't. Yesterday, I had woken up Maximum Ride, dead, but somehow living and supposed savior of the world. Today, I woke up Maximum Ride, the terminated ITEX super weapon that would've conquered the world. I couldn't have felt more conflicted. Not only was I suffering from a mortality crisis, but I was now suffering a morality crisis.

I knew that I was created by ITEX, but I always thought that I had a choice, that I could change. Now, to find out that my whole life was a lie, just one big test, it really called my own values into play. Was I ever really the goodguy or was I just playing right into ITEX's slimy hands. I honestly didn't know. I didn't know who I was anymore.

I didn't tell Warren when he asked what had happened, but he could figure it out from the look on my face. He had been figuring things out for a while now, and the fact that he could still stand next to me without vomiting, was a blessing to me. I didn't deserve him. He was far too nice, too innocent to be dragged down by me. Yet, he still as willing to help, he still saved my ass whenever I needed it.

The next few days blurred together in a mass of party decor and planning. I asked Warren at one point how long it would take to finish it up, but was immediately told off by one of the crazed planners. It was safe to say that one was dismissed immediately, never to be seen again.

The party planning was killing Warren, his hair and face greasy, his skin pale and strained. I asked him the last time he had showered and he honestly couldn't tell me. Then, I asked when he last slept. That answer was 'a few days'. After that, I called a break on the planning for the day and rushed everyone out and they quicky complied after showing them my golden features. I forced Warren to clean himself up and sleep, which he did. He slept for the rest of the day and night.

Those few days were actually pretty fun, until the week mark hit. I had officially seven days to live and was no closer to my goal. I knew I had until that Friday morning to end Angel, but it seemed so far away, yet it was closing in on me so fast. Warren seemed to understand, his silent presence soothing to me.

"It'll be okay. You'll do what you need to do." he would say to me.

I would never respond to that. I never knew what to say. All I knew was that the party was closing in on me, and I was utterly unprepared. Worst of all, I was having second thoughts about it all. How was I supposed to kill Angel, the one person I was closest to other than Fang?

How was I supposed to kill my baby, even though she could kill me?


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**Fang**

Friday came like a bat out of hell. I had just finally managed to steal a few precious moments of sleep before being woken up yet again to the sound of blaring alarm clocks and heavy footsteps. My bloodshot eyes found the clock on the wall. It said 5:30. Who the hell was up at 5:30 in the morning?

Needless to say, I could not go back to sleep. Giving up, I got up from my sofa and went over to the kitchen. There wasn't any food besides the leftovers we got from the night before at the restaraunt Angel took us to. I honestly had no idea how she knew so much about New York. It was as if she had been living here her entire life. She knew the ins and outs and all of the inbetweens of this city, and it was really starting to interest me, seeing as though we had only been here a few times before.

Still, the leftovers were promising and not totally disgusting, so I ate them, barely tasting anything. I just downed one bite after the next and tried not to think too much about anything. The more I thought now adays, the harder my head hurt. I've had a headache for about three days now, and it just got worse and worse every day. I would take an Advil or something, but after I had to take nine a day, I stopped for fear of overdosing.

At some point, my fork missed my mouth and it fell to the tile floor, clattering and making a mess.

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath. This is not what I needed.

I cleaned up the mess begrudgingly, but tossed the rest of the food away. Suddenly, I wasn't hungry anymore.

"Fang?" someone called from another room.

"Hmm?" I muttered, not totally aware of what I was doing.

"Are you up?"

I looked up to see Nudge standing in front of me. She looked exhausted, like she couldn't get any sleep either. Her hair was frizzed out from her ponytail and her PJs were all wrinkled. She looked worse than I did, if that was possible.

"Hey, you get any sleep?" I asked, a tad bit worried.

"A little..." she ran her hand through her hair, trying to pull out some knots.

"Nudge, are you okay?"

She looked possesed almost, her eyes glazed over and dazed.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine...just, had some bad dreams..." she trailed off.

She was still staring across the room, looking at nothing. I could tell something had really freaked her out, but I never got the chance to ask her. As I was about to, Angel pranced out of her room and skipped into the kitchen.

"Good morning!"

Both Nudge and I groaned in aknowledgement. Both of us really just wished that she wouldn't keep popping up every time we were alone. It was really annoying.

"So, are you guys ready for today?" she asked.

"Sure..." I sighed, not really up to whatever 'fun' events she had planned for today.

"What do you have planned for today?" Nudge asked half-heartedly.

She looked at tad confused, but, after noticing the dark circles under our eyes, she kinda smiled in sympathy.

"Did either of you get any sleep last night?"

"Yes." I lied.

Nudge nodded in agreement.

Angel knew we were lying, but didn't press the issue. For that, I was grateful.

"Well, at least try to look strong. We have our ITEX meeting today, remember?"

I shot upright at that, my eyes widening in fear. I had completely forgotten about that. I guess all of the dreams and questions and just plain out crazy shit that had happened over the past few days had just pushed the meeting out of mind.

"Yeah." I lied.

"Start getting ready then! We are leaving in an hour."

And with that, Angel pranced off to her room once more, humming some show tune the entire way. When she had closed her door, I pounded my head against the wall in frustration.

"Damn. I had completely forgotten about that." I cursed.

"Yeah. I am so not looking forward to that meeting. I mean, we are going to the place that imprisoned us as kids, _voluntarily_. It's beyond messed up." Nudge shivered at the thought.

"I know. Trust me, no one here is excited."

"Angel could've fooled me. She's never looked happier."

I sighed. "Just let her be. This is just her way of coping." I was tired of reading into things.

"I don't know...All I know is that there's the wierd voice in my head telling me all this stuff and just making me really...edgy..." Nudge rubbed her temples, her face scrunching in pain.

"What kind of voice? Is it like the one Max had? Because if it is, we may all have it."

"No, it's not like Max's. It's actually not even really a voice. It's more like a sixth sense or something, almost like I can get a sense of what's going on in people's heads and what they're feeling. It's almost like..."

She trailed off, her eyes widening in realization.

"It's almost like what Nudge?" Her face was worrying me.

"It's almost as if I have telepathy." she said, her voice and expression totally confused.

I leaned back against the kitchen wall and stared, my mind reeling. This was the last thing I expected. ONe telepath was bad enough, but two? I could kiss any privacy goodbye.

"I'm sorry." she smiled apologetically.

"For what?" But I knew. She had read my thoughts.

"I can't read them, I can only feel them." she clarified. "I can read your emotions almost and it helps me decipher what you're thinking. I tried to actually read them, but they were all fuzzy, and my head started hurting. I don't think I'm strong enough to read them yet."

"Well, Angel did take a few months to develop hers, and they're still growing, if you have telepathy that is. You may just have some weird sixth sense, like you said."

"I don't know, but I think Angel does. I think she knows I'm suspicious of her and I think she knows that I have this new power. I think that's why she doesn't want to leave us two alone..."

"These are a lot of assumptions." I ran my fingers through my hair, a headache of my own rooting into place. "Why don't we get ready and get the interview over with before we start on this. Okay?"

"Sure." she agreed half-heartedly. She looked pretty dejected, but we had bigger problems at hand today. I didn't know what ITEX was going to throw at us, but by God, I would be ready for it.

**Angel**

If the flock hadn't been in the rooms directly across from me, I would've screamed bloody murder. That little BITCH was calling my bluffs one after the other! Pretty soon, her new powers would be developed, and I would be a dead woman! It was only a matter of time until she pieced together the truth, and she would immediately go and tell her precious Fang. That COULD NOT happen. It would not happen. Not over my dead body!

It was safe to say that I was both livid and murderous. If I could, I would kill both Fang and Nudge on the spot fof what they were doing, but I couldn't. No, I had to maintain my appearence, at least until I was sure that Phase 2 of the plan was ready to be executed. Then, I would be the one in charge. I would rule everything...

But, for now, I was stuck ranting around in my room, tearing up window curtains and pillows in utter frustration. Where the hell was Dylan! I called him in minutes ago! We needed to talk, and now was not the time to blow me off!

Then, just as I was about to go and find him myself, Dylan popped through the doorway and sauntered into the room, not even bothering to close the dor behind him. From what I saw, Nudge and Fang had left the kitchen, but their thoughts told me that they were in their rooms. Well, at least Fang's thoughts said so. Nudge's were becoming harder and harder to read by the day. Damn her.

"Hey." he said casually, taking the liberty to lay himself out on the couch in the room. He kicked his feet up and gave me his 'sorry, I'm innocent' smile. I felt like tearing him limb from limb.

"Where the hell have you been!" I shrieked at him, closing the doors so no one could hear. "I have been calling you for twenty minutes now!"

"Sorry." he said, not meaining it at all. "I was out getting some coffee with someone I met at the concert last night."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry that our time-sensitive mission cuts into your blossoming social life." I spat at him.

"I have a social life thank you very much!"

"No, you don't. You're all of what, one, maybe two years old now?" I sneered at him, his eyes darkening.

"And you're so much more mature because you're seven?" he shot back.

"No. I'm more mature because I'm the one with the experience! I'm the veteran in this situation!"

"That only means that you're yesterday's news." he waved me off. "They should've retired you long ago. Max and I, we're the future. Well, in Max's case she was, but time goes on..."

"Does it?" I asked, a grin of hatred on my face.

I walked over to him and stroked his cheek, my fingers moving down and resting right on his chin.

"Such a handsome face..." I cooed and his eyes widened. In a flash, I had my arm around his neck, my fingers twisting into talons from my bird of paridise transformation. I hadn't used it in a while, but it did come in handy in scaring the shit out of him. My talons latched onto his chin, my other hand digging into his shoulder. He let out a gasp as he tried struggling against me. All I did was laugh, twisting his face to look at mine.

"It would be a pity if anything was to happen to it." I traced his cheek again, this time adding pressure so the talons could break the skin. A single line of red appeared, and I let him go. he was grasping for air, holding his bleeding cheek. I shook myself out of my transformation, returning to my normal self.

"You bitch." he spat at me.

"I'll take that as compliment. And I hope you take that little interlude as a lesson. When I call you, you come. Got it?"

We stared each other down for a moment, but he gave up and plopped back down on the couch.

"Hey, chill, I'm here now." he raised his hands in surrender, his eyes glaring. "So, tell me what's so important?"

"Nudge. That's the problem. She's too close to the truth and to make things worse, she knows she's a telepath now."

"So? What do you want me to do about it?"

"You? Please." I scoffed. "I just wanted to tell you to lay low, and don't do anything to give us away, especially in the meeting today."

"Of course." he sighed impatiently. "Is that all?"

"Yes. You can go."

We stared each other down as he exited the room, our gazes full of malice and hatred. He left with a huff, and soon, I heard the bathroom door slam shut. I didn't care. If he hated me, so be it. All that meant was that I wouldn't care if he died.

**Fang**

I would like to say that going back to ITEX wouldn't be hard, but it was. It was in fact, worse than it had ever been before. Maybe it was just in the rush and excitement of tearing these places up that we didn't really pay attention or feel as much in seeing everything, but now, walking through it all, the memories were hitting us all like bricks.

All I could do was shudder and wince as I saw the labs and all the people in whitecoats running around. I almost threw up when I heard someone scream, and honestly felt sick when I saw some of their instruments lying out on a table. My hatered and loathing for the place was growing by the minute. We didn't see the cages, but I had a feeling that ours were still around smewhere, and that more than half of these whitecoats were just jumping at the chance to put us back in them.

Nudge was taking it worse. She was literally crying as she got deeper into the building. She was shaking too, her arm and lips trembling as she held a pale and frightened Gazzy. Iggy, even though he couldn't see, looked green from inhaling the awful yet all too familiar smells of bleach and death. The only one who wasn't loosing it, was Angel. She looked completely calm, yet she wasn't talking or looking at anyone. I wondered if she was just in shock, but I honestly didn't know.

The guards behind and all around us were supposed to keep the crazy doctors away, but a still few managed to give us meniachle looks, their creepy smiles sending shivers up my spine. As we marched through the cement walls and iron floors, I realized that I had never been in this part of the building before. It must've been the office center or something. I had no doubt that we would find the head of ITEX somewhere in this building.

Suddenly, we came to a stop in front of a very large set of wooden double doors. They were thick, and according to some guy in a suit, they were sound proof as well. We were sent into the room with a few of the guards while the others stood outside the doors.

It was a larger room, one with a long mahogany table in the center with about a dozen chairs along the sides. Someone was sitting at the head of the table, his back towards us so he could face the very large flat screen TV on the wall. There were others standing around him, all dressed in suits and ties. It all looked very professional and not at all ITEX-like. I was begining to wonder if we were sent to the right place.

Just as I was about to ask, the man turned around to face us, his bright grey eyes scouring over us. He was at least 70 years old, if not 80 and he had deep creases all over his face. His hair, or what was left of it, was a powdery white color and he dressed sharply, like those around him. The men near him were of various ages, though most looked to be signifacntly younger than this man, yet he seemed to emit some sort of essence, one that was strong and compelling. I knew in a heartbeat that this was the man in charge. He was the leader here, the one that replaced Marian Janssen, the old Director who was also a hybrid if memory served. Her failure with capturing Max must've costed her her job, and possibly her life.

"Good. They're here. Now, we can start." he said, his old voice quavering just a tad, but maintaining its power.

All of the men in suits sat down leaving the six seats on the left side open. Slowly and unsure, we all sat down with them, the chair on the opposite end reamining empty. There was a long period of awkward silence as the men studied us with scrutinizing eyes. It felt like we were on trial or something.

"Ahem." I coughed, a tad nervous. "Can someone please explain why we are here? I mean, us and ITEX don't usually mix unless we are breaking in or something..."

The suits shifted unevenly as they looked up to their boss, waiting for what he had to say.

"That is why we called you here." the old man said sternly. "Someone has been breaking into high security ITEX headquaters all over the country. Many of our main servers and data hubs have been destroyed and our company is crumbling apart."

I didn't know how to react to that situation. I should really have been ecstatic over the fact that ITEX was going down, but I was also curious about who was doing it. I know ITEX had more than just one enemy, but who would be crazy enough to destroy their facilities. I glanced over at the flock. They were all okay, except for Angel who had gone rigid, her expression unreadable.

"There have been a total of about seven or eight incidents. This is the last mega ITEX hub in the country. If this one is destroyed, then ITEX is finished."

"Then why did you call us here?" I asked. "Did you expect us to help you fix ITEX? Cuz if you did, then you're sadly mistaken."

"No, I expect you to tell us the truth." he fumed.

"About what?" I was starting to get annoyed.

"About the incidents! We know that it has been you all that has been sabatoging us! You are lucky that we don't have you terminated on the spot!"

"What?" Nudge shrieked.

"We don't know anything about those attacks until you told us! Hell, if I had known that someone was trying to take ITEX down, I would've gladly joined them!" I got up out of my seat and shouted.

"Don't lie! We know it's you! The one who did this had wings! They blew up our places and then just flew away!" one of the suits spat back.

"Well, I can tell you it wasn't us!" I yelled back.

"Then how is it a coincidence that you appear in New York just after the last center was destroyed?" another asked.

"Yeah, It could've been you're blonde friends over there that we saw on the tape." someone else piped up as he gestured to Angel and Dylan, even to Iggy.

"I don't know!" Nudge shouted, "But I swear we didn't do it!"

The blonde thing was getting to me though. Why did he think...

"Well, then you must know who did it. It's not every day that you see a child with wings. You all must now each other somehow..."

I had stopped listening. Things weren't adding up.

"Wait, did you say you had a tape of the attacker?" I asked, my mind racing.

"Yes. We were able to get a vague sense of who or whom it was. From what we could gather, the image appeared to be of a person with and blonde hair." one of the suits said.

"Some even said the person was golden." one laughed.

"Golden?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"Yes. There were a few survivors, _very_ few. But those who were able to see anything said that there was a flash of golden light and it flew off. They called it the golden monster." the old man dragged. "But, we are getting off topic. We will have to individually interview each one of you. We'll start with the African American girl and go from there. The rest of you are excused."

We were all shuffled out as Nudge stayed behind, her body violently shaking. She looked like and emotional wreck and I hated to leave her alone in there.

On the other hand, my mind was reeling. The mission the golden girl had recieved, the one from my dreams, was to destroy ITEX? It made no sense. Maybe she had a fight to pick with them, or maybe something else was happening behind the scenes. I didn't know. I was only getting more and more confused.

So, I waited, and waited, and waited until I was called. I had watched Nudge come out and Iggy go in. Then it was Gazzy, then Dylan, and now it was me. I pushed my way past Dylan and sat down in the same seat at the table that I had had before. Everyone, even the old man, was staring at me like I was a liar and they were waiting for me to slip up. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction though. I wouldn't.

One of them pulled out a few files and flipped through them, clucking his tongue and such as if he had some big secret he couldn't share. This went on for about five minutes, and by the time he had faced me again, I was ready to rip his head off.

"So, Fang..." he started, but I cut him off.

"Skip all the bull shit and just ask me your questions so I can get out of this God-forsaken hell hole."

"Very well." his face hardened. "Did you ever attack an ITEX facility in the past month?"

"No."

"Did you ever conspire to do so?"

"Yes, but not in the last month." I smiled sarcastically, causing him to glare at me.

"Are you hiding and/or protecting the person who did attack said ITEX facilities?"

"Like I said, if I had known about them, I would've jumped at the chance."

The man glared at me again, not enjoying my sarcasm.

"Were you in any way involved with the murders of Jeb Batcheledor and Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen?"

That stunned me, causing my head to snap up instantly. "What?"

"Were you in any way involved with-"

"No, I heard that!" I snapped. "But are they really...?"

"Yes." the old man sighed deeply. "Jeb about a week or two ago, Dr. Hans a few days to a week ago."

"Good men. Good scientists." one of the suits hung his head solemnly as the rest agreed.

"I just...can't believe..." I leaned back in my chair, not knowing what to say to that.

The guy ran off all of the other questions to which I hardly paid attention. So, the golden girl had killed them as well. The only two reasonable decent whitecoats, as far as whitecoats go, had been killed. It was hard to wrap my head around. It's not that I cared for them, it's just that, despite all of the whacky shit they had done to us and put us through, they were the decent ones of the bunch. It almost felt like another part of my life was being ripped away. At least max didn't have to be here for this, to learn that her father had died. I don't think it would've killed her, but it would've been a low blow.

Soon, I was gettting up, my feet guiding my without my mind's consent. I knew I was leaving, but for once, I couldn't see anything and for the second time in my life, I felt as blind as Iggy.

**Angel**

Finally, it was my turn to go in and I was ready to raise some hell. When I got in there, they'd be lucky if I let them live. I was so pissed off at the world right now. It was as if karma was throwing a wrench in my plans every time I turned around. I was sick of it.

I stormed into the conference room at lightning speed, slamming the doors shut, and not caring what other people thought. If I had it my way, some heads were gonna roll.

"What the HELL!" I shrieked, catching the attention of everyone in the room immediately. They all looked like they were going to shit their pants. "I leave you alone for ONE MONTH and all of our plans, our entire empire, goes down the toilet! I should have you all excecuted!"

I was fuming and the louder I got, the more all of the backed into the walls. I didn't care how loud I was though. The doors were soundproof for a reason.

"I never should've left you fools in charge! But, I suppose this is what I get for doing all the hard work myself while you lazy bafoons sat on your asses and watched ITEX go straight to hell!"

"We-we're sorry! It was very unexpected and the attacks-"

"Sorry. SORRY! You're not _sorry_! The only reason you're apologizing is because I'm here now!"

"Ma'am, relax, we have the situation under control. We apprehended the suspects, and sooner or later-"

"There won't be a 'sooner or later' old man! They've been under my watch the entire time! They couldn't even sneeze without me knowing!"

The elderly man I had placed in charge shrunk back in his seat as I proved him wrong.

"You best be careful Jenks. You don't want to end up like your predecessor do you? It would be a shame to see your head mounted on a pole." I smiled sinisterly at him as he shook his head.

"Good boy." I patted his shoulder and turned to face the others who immediately jumped up. "Now, one of you imbisiles tell me everything that's happened."

"Well, after you killed Maximum Ride, there wasn't any activity, but nearly a week later, the camp site that we had established at the crater where she died, vanished."

"Vanished?" I raised my eyebrows, disbelieving.

"Yes. We returned to the site only to find a few tarps and a bunch of dust. But, anyway, after that, it was just attack after attack. The person would break in, completely unnoticed, and steal all the information off our harddrives and then blow the place sky high."

"Alright. When did Jeb die?"

"About two weeks ago, a little less maybe. He was burned alive at our top secret HQ in the middle of the New York forests."

"Alright. And Dr. Hans?"

"That's where it gets strange. The person only went there to talk to the doctor, kill him, them leave. No one saw them enter and no one saw them leave. The building, the office structure in the NYC business district, wasn't even harmed." one of the suits explained

"That is odd. Were you able to salvage anything from their supposed conversation?'

"See we have a video of converstion fragments between the person and the doctor, but nothing solid, just a few words and snippets. The cameras were short circuted and then destroyed during the time." he said sheepishly.

"Anything interesting?" I smiled, a tad bit annoyed.

He squirmed a little. "Not really. From what we could gather, they were talking about the Maximum Ride project."

"The project, not the girl?" I asked, a tad bit alarmed.

"I think both. I heard them say nano chips and modificacations and stuff like that."

"Well, whomever this person is, they must be someone very powerful to know about the project. They may make a formidable enemy..."

"Any orders Ma'am?" the old man asked feebily.

"No. But if you see that person again, kill them. And keep this HQ well guarded. It's our last and only hope."

"Yes Ma'am." They all said, waiting for me to move or do something.

I got up to leave, gathering my wits and smoothing out my dress. I had really worn myself out today. This was way too much stress.

"The next time I come, there better not be any excuses, or else you know what will happen next." I warned.

The looked at me in fear, and I held my head high as I exited the room. Damn, how I loved being in charge!

The flock was all outside waiting for me. They all looked frazzled, besides Dylan. Fang looked the worst. I tried to read his thoughts, but they were to frequent and rushed that I couldn't clearly make anything out, so I gave up. My flock may have been wiped out, but I was actually starting to feel better. The surge of power I felt when being around this place was incredible. Here, I was the big dog on campus, the boss. I was respected, honored, feared even. I had everything I could've ever wanted, and one day, that would include total world-wide control.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

**Max**

As the days to the party dwindled before me, it occured to me that I had no real plan of action. Sure, Angel and Dylan would come to the party, but what then? What was I going to do? I knew I had to kill Angel at the least, maybe Dylan, but how I was to do that was beyond me.

So, I sat around watching the planners go about in their strange ways as they hung up the tapestries and laid out the tables and the polished silverware. The gala was coming together quite nicely, and I had to say, Warren sure knew how to throw a party. There was not one thing out of place, everything was prim and proper and absolutely stunning. The red carpets and curtains were freshly pressed and the world-renowned orchestra had been booked for the entire evening. It was going to be night to remember, full of dancing, music, laughter, and murder. Yeah...this was going to be _fun._

Unfortuneately, I had nothing to wear for this event, nor was I accustomed to wear poofy ball gowns and expensive jewels. Warren had offered on many occasions to buy me anything I so desired, but I had promptly denied him each time. I never like accepting charity, but now that time closing in on me, I was seriously thinking about taking him up on his offer. If I was going to blend in with a high society crowd, then I was going to have to look the part.

Swallowing my independence, I got up from my biege room in the Worthington Mansion and headed out to find Warren. He was probably in the Great Hall of the Ball Room, but as I went around, he wasn't in either. I checked the Study, the Parlor, the Kitchen, and the Veranda, only to find them empty as well. Well, empty of Warren that was. The planners were still buzzing around like mad trying to figure out some last minute details.

Sighing, I leaned against a balcony railing, taking in the spectacular view. This certain place had the best view of the private lake and boathouse. Perched on a hill, the mansion looked like something out of a fairytale, the house perched on a cliff leading to gardens and beaches down below.

I let my eyes wander over the vast gardens, the maze carved out of the perfectly manicured hedges, the overflowing rosebushes, all in full bloom, the fountains guilded in silver and gold, and all of the wonderful other plants surrounding the area, creeping up and over parts of the wrought iron fence. I let out a sigh. If only my life could be this perfect. If only I could live here forever, like a princess in a fairytale.

Suddenly, my eyes caught something shiny moving in my periphrials. I turned my head to see Warren, grinning and glowing like I had never seen him before. He had his wings exposed, the pure whiteness and silver tips catching the sun. They were gorgeous, but that's not what had caught my attention. It was the woman across from him. She was startlingly beautiful, but in a strange way. Her hair was the color of pure silver, and billowed around her like the wind was softly blowing, but it wasn't. I couldn't see her face, but there was something definately magical about her.

They turned, but I still couldn't see her face. I was thinking about coming down there and introducing myself, but I didn't want to ruin their moment. I watched as Warren leaned down to kiss her, their lips meeting for a moment before breaking away. He smiled and watched as she walked away, disappearing from my sight. It was such a happy and romantic sight, and I couldn't help but feel happy for Warren. He deserved some happiness.

Smiling and turning away, I decided to leave Warren be. We could always talk later. Besides, we could always order a dress via express. I wondered if it was possible if they could send one in just two days...

**Fang**

Going to a party was the last thing I wanted to do with my Friday evening. I had just discovered that the two ITEX people we could actually trust were murdered not only a week prior and it really didn't set the mood for a party. I had begrudgingly spent the last week of my life following Angel around on all of her little NYC escapades and I was beyond ready to leave. This city held nothing important for me, and I wanted out.

Angel told us that after the ball, we would leave, and that was the only reason that I allowed myself to be dressed in a tux at the moment. Granted, it looked really good on me, the dark black pants and jacket complimenting my features, but it was stiff and there was hardly and room to move. I felt like a monkey in a suit, so incredibley awkward. I was so not used to the high life, and that was obviously apparent.

"Hey man, how do I look?" Iggy came out of our room, fidgeting with his jacket cuffs.

Iggy was dressed in a suit similar to mine, except his was edged in what looked to be a lilac color while mine was all black. It was a color that actually suited Iggy quite well, not that he could see it or anything.

"You look sharp." I said, trying to give out a compliment that didn't sound totally lame. Those sort of things didn't come naturally to me.

Iggy, knowing that, smiled.

"Thanks. I would tell you how you looked, but that would require actually being able to see." he said sarcastically.

I was going to respond, but Gazzy came out dressed in his tux, his blonde hair slicked back with a ton of gel. His suit was an exact copy of mine, but he wore a bow tie instead of an actual tie. He actually kinda looked like a little James Bond, but his face looked angry, a scowl covering it.

"What's wrong Gasman?" I asked, fighting back a laugh.

"I feel like and idiot." he grumbled.

"Well, join the club." Iggy sighed.

We all stood around waiting on Dylan and the girls who were taking forever. I was about to get up and leave when the door opened again, leading way to Dylan and Nudge, Angel sauntering close behind. Dylan looked like he was going to a casino, his hair gelled back, wearing a black suit with a red vest underneath and a red hankerchief sticking out of his pocket. It was a little, if not a lot ostentatious. Angel came up to Dylan's side, wearing a cream colored dress covered with lace and a sash inlaid with pearls. The dress stopped just before her ankles, poofing out just a tad to expose her frilly cream colored socks and shining black Mary Janes. She wore tiny lace glovelettes and pearl bracelets and necklaces. I had to admit, she did look adorable.

However, it was Nudge who stole the show. She came to my side, trying to escape the others, looking as lovely as I had ever seen her. She wore a strapless lilac gown that went all the way down to the floor, the miniature train covered in gems and sparkles. It was accented at her waist, giving her an actual figure and made her look like a million bucks. She wore a diamond drop necklace and earrings, a diamond bracelet hanging from her wrist and a tiny diamond ring placed on her manicured finger. I could tell she was blushing, or maybe it was the expertly applied makeup, either way, she was gorgeous.

"You look beautiful Nudge." I managed to get out.

I watched her heavy eyelashes bat downward, her eyes avoiding my gaze as she blushed. I too felt a tad awkward at what I had said, shimmying away from her.

"Well, did everyone like my choices?" Angel asked, beaming with pride.

I sighed. Angel did know what she was doing when it came to fashion, and being dragged around shopping with her all week made me learn some new things. I guess that's why I was able to describe what everyone was wearing. It was kinda scaring me.

We all agreed with her, letting her soak up her success. When she was finished, we filed into the limo Angel had rented, making me question once more where she had gotten the money for all of this, for the clothes, the shoes, the limos. It was all very suspicious, but I let it go. I honestly didn't care to hear the answer. Tonight, all I hoped for was that the event had some champagne, because alcohol was the only thing that was going to get me through this one.

**Max**

After much deliberation and stress, I finally let Warren choose my dress. I gave up after looking through all of my options, totally bewildered by the amounts I had to choose from and the prices that they came at. I had soon broken down and given up, telling Warren to get me whatever he felt like, and, now that I was actually seeing the dress, I was glad I did. I would've never in a million years picked out something so gorgeous.

"It's custom made exactly for you." he had told me when it came in earlier that day. "I had some connections with the designer and he put this in on express just for you."

Warren watched my face as I fingered the beautiful fabrics and saw the jewels I would wear with them. I was sure to knock the socks off of anyone else there. I almost cried in graditude, but kept myself together. I didn't even want to know how much a dress like that had cost.

I honestly had no idea what had come over me. I was in no way girly, or even feminine, but there I was freaking out over a dress. I could barely recognize myself anymore.

After reluctantly being pulled away from my dress, Warren had me completely spoiled in preparation for the party. He gave me full acess to the spa and staff as they pampered me. I had a mudbath (not as gross as it sounds), a massage, a manicure and pedicure, and a facial. Now, granted I would never, ever go for something like that in a million years, but it was my last day among the living! I might as well live it up!

By the time I was done in the spa, it was time to prepare for the gala/ball thing. I didn't know exactly what these parties were called, but Warren had made it clear that they were very high class and _very_ professional. I was a tad nervous, but I was also very, very excited, excited for my first red-carpet event and excited to set my plan into action.

I had finally been able to come up with a plan. It was straightforward, but it involved a lot of improvising, so I was ready if things went differently than I expected. It was safe to say that this would be a party no one would forget.

I mulled over my plans during the preparations. My hair was being thrown up in a half bun so that my perfectly curled locks would lay perfectly around my shoulders. My makeup was next, shades of gold, bronze, and pink were applied lightly to my eyelids while mascara was applied thickly to my lashes. They smoothed my already flawless complexion and applied blush and bronzer to my cheeks, but I didn't need much. I wasn't even dressed and I looked like a star.

I came into my dressing room a few moments later dressed only in my slip and a robe, a few maids running around while Warren spoke to them from the corner.

"Ah, there you are!" he exclaimed as he saw me enter. "And you look as beautiful as ever."

"Thanks." I looked around, totally overwhelmed. "I'm not used to all of this stuff."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, being pampered and makeup and being dressed up to go nice places. It just isn't...me." I shrugged my shoulders, avoiding his confused gaze.

"But you're not you anymore, remember? You can be anyone you want to be, and tonight, you're a star."

I looked up at him to see him smiling down at me, his eyes alight. It made me smile too.

"Thanks Warren. You've been amazing to me, and I'm really, really grateful. You're like the brother I never had."

He smiled at me and pulled me into a hug, careful not to mess my hair up.

"Me too Max, me too." his smile got a little faded as he pulled away. "Now, it's time for you to put on that dress." he said with a laugh, pointing at the hanger.

I laughed too as I went over to the stand in the middle of the dressing room. It was a huge place filled with enough clothes for a third world country, equipped with dressing stalls, a seamstress station, and a podium with its own 180 degree mirror. The maids rushed around me as they pulled the dress over my head carefully, taping and gluing me into it. It fit me like a glove, the fabric moving and flowing in all the right places. I felt like a goddess.

The dress was made out of a sparkling golden fabric, the kind that was just shiny enough to look glamorus and not tacky, and had the most amazing cut. It was a sweetheart neckline with just the tiniest rouching at the bust, and it had absolutely no back, the fabric starting just below the small of my back. It was a corset top with an angled bodice, the bottom trimmed in golden gems so that they only sparkled without standing out too much, while the skirt flowed out around my feet without being too poofy, the golden sparkling detail absolutely breathtaking. I felt like a superstar.

Then, they whisked away only to come back with cases of jewels. One maid placed a golden braclet on my wrist so heavy that it wieghed it down while another slipped an enormous yellow diamond on my finger. Before I could protest, one appeared from behind me to place a thick rope of diamonds on my neck with a single large yellow diamond drop on the end. I felt two yellow diamond drops being placed in my ears, all encrusted with tinier white diamonds. All together, they took my breath away.

"Warren, I couldn't possibly-" I gasped.

"Max, wear them. You deserve it." he smiled, placing a hand on my arm. "Besides, they complete the look."

I turned back to my reflection in the mirror, admiring the beautiful girl staring back. Sure, she was a total stranger, one with curled golden hair, dripping in jewels and looking like a million bucks, literally. It was like Warren said, I could be whomever I wanted to be.

Maybe this night wouldn't be all that bad. I would get revenge, save the world, and be admired all at the same time.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**Fang**

As soon as we got to the Wothington Place, my jaw dropped. Usually, I wasn't blown away by things so easily, but this amount of granduer and richness just made my pulse race. This party was going to be very upscale and there was the very possible chance that we may get ambushed with no escape. I don't know if it was sleep deprevation or my suspicion of men in suits that made me come to that realization, but as soon as I laid my eyes on the enormous mansion and its grounds, I was on high alert.

Angel, however, looked as calm and acted as charming and cool as ever. She showed nothing but happiness and sophistication as she gracefull exited the limo, taking one of the valet's hands as she rose. When we were all out, she waved the taxi away and guided us all up to the front gates. None of us were really excited, and could really care less, not even Dylan was looking forward to the party, though he did like admiring his new look, the jerk. No, it was only Angel who was even the least bit excited.

Waving our invitation in front of the butler's nose, she skipped past him in a bubbly whirl. We all followed slowly and begrudgingly, taking in the complete extravagance of the party. It was so far out of our league, that I was surprised that the guests couldn't sniff out the poor street kid in us. Still, we were allowed in, folowing the floods of people into the grand room, descending the grand staircase as if we were celebrities.

The ball room was absolutely huge, almost half the size of a football field and was covered in red and gold. The red runner was lining the double grand staricase as well as the other set across the room with golden and red curtains hanging from the celing high windows. There was a grand orchestra in the corner and ice sculptures lined and dotted the room. All together, this party was probably the most expensive thing I had seen in my entire life.

I heard Angel squeal with delight before throwing her shoulders back and parading down the stairs like she was the most important person here. Nudge's eyes widened and gleamed with delight. I knew she was enjoying the party now that she was actually here, and I tried my best not to be a downer.

"Ahem?" I coughed purposely, extending my arm to Nudge. She beamed at me, taking it and placing her gloved hand on top of mine.

We let Dylan go in front of us, trailing Angel like a puppy, and Gazzy and Iggy stumbled grumpily behind. We followed closely behind them, Nudge exuberent while I was trying my best to be happy. We immediately took to the dance floor, even though I did not know how to dance. I did it for her though, to make her happy. I just hoped she would appreciate my efforts and not pick up on my pained smile.

For some reason, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't be happy.

**Max**

I was waiting in the hall leading to the back double staircase where in a matter of minutes, Warren and I would make our grand enterance. I looked fabulous and I was sure he would look the same, but I still felt jittery. Even though I was indestructable, I was terrified for the night to end, for my mission to finally be completed. I knew Warren would be by my side, but this was beyond anything I had ever felt, so strong I felt like running far away.

Then, before I had the chance, Warren appeared from behind a set of double doors wearing a suit that made his look like a very young, very handsome James Bond. It matched mine, the pocket lined with golden silk and his buttons and cufflinks were the same shade of gold as the rest of me. Together, we looked like the perfect couple, and that was just the show we wanted to put on.

He paced up to me, a calming smile on his face. For someone who was allowing murder to go on in his house, he looked very relaxed.

"So, you ready?" He asked, popping out his suit collar and placing it back down smoothly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I tried to smile, but that made me feel like I was going to vomit.

"Hey," he said, sensing my anxiety. "You'll be great. Everything is going be okay, and by the end of the night, you wil be a hero."

"Thanks." I smiled tentatively. "At least one of us believes this will work..."

"I know it will work." he smiled at me again, immediately putting me at ease. I wondered if his smile was one of his powers, but I highly doubted it.

I turned away from him and looked down the hallwhere the party was ging in full swing. I heard the orchestra strike the first few cords for a waltz and the sounds of drunken laughter and gaiety filled my ears as the sickeningly sweet smells of champagne and wine filled my noise. I knew somewhere down there, Fang, Angel, Dylan, and the rest of the flock were enjoying the party, no doubt celebrating my demise. Little did they know, their whole world would be turned upside down in a matter of hours.

"It'll be one hell of a show." Warren let out a deep breath.

"Ha. Yeah..." I looked away from my escort for fear of running yet again. "And your girlfriend doesn't have a problem with this?"

He looked at me quizzically, but then his face turned into a smile as he realized I had seen him that day in the garden. He laughed lightly, as if I had asked some sort of stupid question.

"Let's just say she's very understanding." he leaned against the wall, his face still beaming.

I, however, was still confused by his response.

"Don't worry about her. She knows what's going on, and she understands. Besides, we're not public so our little act is harmless."

He sounded so sure, but I was still on edge.

Suddenly, the dance ended, and I heard a voice come over the loudspeakers, the base deepened by the microphone.

"That's my que." Warren smiled at me patted my arm as he passed me.

He was almost to the end of the hall when he turned around and came back to me, his face serious. This was making me worried.

"Okay, I am going ot make my speech and after I'm done, I'm going to call you down to introduce you. We'll act like everything's fine and after a few dances, you'll have your chance. I'm banking on your initial plan working, or else there's going to be a lot of explaning to do to the press." he whispered quickly.

"Me too..." I sighed, tired from doing absolutely nothing, and the hard work hadn't even started yet.

"Yeah, well, if we're lucky, there will be no surprises." He straightened up and fixed his suit once more, flicking his eyes all around the room before fixing them anxiously on the doorway.

"Break a leg." I smiled up at him. It was my turn to reassure him. "You'll do great, _big brother_." I smirked at his nick name.

"You'll do better, _little sister_." He smiled playfully back, kissing my cheek as he passed me, his stride confident and strong as if nothing had changed.

I heard the crowd quiet, and then applaud as Warre's voice filled the mansion. I paced the hallway as his speech went on, my nervevs rising by the minute. Then, he stopped, and I heard my que. It was my time to shine, so I swallowed my fear and put on my mask. I was that girl in the mirror.

I wasn't Max anymore and I wasn't who I wanted to be. I was the girl the world needed, the girl who had the guts to do all I couldn't do, and the girl who was going to have to kill her closest friends.

**Fang**

After about the longest hour of my life, I was ready to get the hell out of here. I had put myself through a few dances for Nudge's sake, but after mortally embarassing myself, I was done. I told Nudge to dance with someone else, which wasn't hard due to her newly discovered beauty, and I took to the cocktail bar. Even though I was under aged, there was no age limit on this bar, and so I had downed about three shots of God-knows-what in a matter of minutes. I wasn't wasted, with my metabolism it was nearly impossible, but I wished I was.

This was the perfect example of why I hated parties. The music was too loud, the place was too crowded, and there was virtually no easy way out unless I crashed through the windows. All of it was making me nervous. Thankfully, somone came over the microphone, and I hoped and prayed he was saying that the party was over. To my disappointment, the man at the bottom of the staircase was not there to get us out, but to make some speech about some other guy.

The man was older, blonde hair streaked with a grey that matched his eyes. Even though he was older, he looked to be much younger, as if time had been kind to him. He looked to be important, but he was moving the next second, moving over to the side as someone else took his place at the staircase. The new younger man stoped at the top of the balcony to smile and wave before proceeding down to the crowd. He had golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and almost bore a resemblance to Gazzy and Angel. His smile seemed to enchant the crowd, the cheering only dying down when he held his hands up.

"Thank you, thank you." he smiled, nodding his head. "I would like to welcome all of you to the annual Worthington Charity Ball. My name in Warren Worthington as my father so helpfully pointed out, and I am this year's host and coordinator."

There were more cheers, but I wasn't paying attention at this point. His words flew right by me as he pointed out the donation stands set up across the room and explained how to donate very large sums of money. It was all sort of disgusting, these rich people having millions to toss away like spare change. I knew whatever they would give would do them no harm. They had billions more where that million came from. My ears pricked back up as he spoke about someone else, someone that sounded vaguely familiar.

"Now, the real reason why you are all here. As you may know, someone new has stepped into my life and turned it, well, upside down. She is an amazing person, someone who makes me so very happy, and someone that I hope you will enjoy."

He raised his arm up to the staircase as the applauding commenced. I saw a vibrant flash of gold from the balcony and I immediately sat up in my seat. It was, without a doubt, the girl in gold.

I got up in a flash, pushing my way tthrough the crowds of people until I was merely feet away from the staricase, but as soon as I got there, I felt like I couldn't breath. My mind was spinning like I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing.

There she was standing right next to Warren like a dream, or maybe a nightmare. I gasped with the crowd, but I was taken away in a different fashion. While others were gasping at the girl's extreme beauty, I was gasping at the unmistakeable familiarity of her face. While her features were hieghtened and golden, they were the same as theones she had before, and there was that undeniable recognition as her eyes pierced mine.

Max was alive, and she was definately up to something.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

**Max**

I didn't need to breathe or calm down or stop because my head was spinning. I didn't need to be prompted as I walked down the stairs. No. I needed no help in this game. It was as if I was letting my body take control, my mind falling back into its reccesses. I didn't need to think about this, thinking would never help. My body knew what it was doing, a languid grace possessing its every move and sway. I was not Max, I was a godly creature, someone who wasn't quite human, but above all, I was powerful and everyone in that room could feel it.

They all gaped and oohed and ahhed as I descended the staircase, each step dainty and feminine. I wasn't even sure if my feet were touching the stairs; they may as well have been hovering above the ground. As I reached the bottom, I let my eyes wander the crowd. Amongst the admiring and jealous glares, I saw a few shocked, pained faces, the faces of my friends. Angel and Dylan had no expression, their faces hollow and horrified while Nudge and Gazzy looked liked they may cry. Still, I didn't focus on them, my eyes only lingered on the set of coal black ones just a few paces away. They looked terrified and confused, but it didn't matter and I didn't care. I gave Fang a small, cocky smile and glanced away.

Why did I ever want him anyway? As I looked at him, my heart didn't leap; I didn't feel excited or nervous or even happy to see him. I just dismissed him, my cold glare going right over him. I was stronger than him, strong enough not to need him anymore. I didn't miss him, he left me, and my body knew that now, more so than my mind ever did. I felt stronger in this moment than in any other moment in my life, and maybe, just maybe, it was because I was finally going to be able to rid myself of the past I has been so foolishly hanging onto.

I gave the crowd a smile, my perfectly white teeth dazzling to all who looked at me. I waited for the chatter to die down before I spoke my very well rehearsed lines. I was an actress. This wasn't my body; this wasn't my life. I was simply a stranger on the stage, a girl pretending to be a hero.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the woman of the hour, Miss Maximum Ride." Warren introduced me to the masses, winking at me as he stepped down from the step, offering me his hand. I took it and carefully walked down the last step, nodding at him as he backed away. He smiled mischeviously back. It was showtime.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight to support this very noble organization. It means so very much to the both of us that you all are here and I hope that you are enjoying this wonderful party." I said dramatically.

I gave another smile and watched the cameras flash and the roar of the papparazzi, their questions all drowing in each others, blurring into one giant mass of sound. I tried my best not to flinch as it pierced my sensitive ears. My smile taughtening, I tried to speak as civilly and as sweetly as I could.

"Please, one at a time. I know you are all curious."

"Miss Ride!" one particurally fat and greasy man with a camera called at me from the center of the room.

"Yes?" I asked politely.

"Recent reports all over the world have been reporting your death in a tragic rockslide accident. How is it that you survived?" he asked, camera at the ready.

"My death? Really? Well that's just absurd. The media should really check their sources before running stories." I laughed and the crowd followed suit. I was really loving this. "No, I was never in a...rockslide accident. That story is a hundred percent ficticious."

"Well then how did the entire world recieve the story in just a few days. Surely we in here in America should've recognized a false story."

"Well obviously I am not dead if I am standing here talking to you and I was not cloned again, as far as I know."

There was a slight chuckle from the crowds and I gave the man a curt smile as the murmurs came back. Another hand shot up, this time a particurally tall woman with a bird nose and giant wire-rimmed glasses.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Sylvia Marks with Time Magazine. My question is where were you during the time of the story? Surely you must've heard something about it. Why didn't you clarify things to the public?"

I gave Sylvia a long hard look before responding. After a while, I smiled. "Alright, you got me Ms. Marks. I was relaxing actually, taking a vacation on a very secluded, uninhabited island near the coast of South America. There was very little means of communication or contact to the outside world."

"Why were you on vacation, so to speak?"

"I needed to get away from the stress of everyday life. Even world-saving bird children like me need a break every once in a while. Besides, I had gotten into a fight with my flock and I decided it was time to move on. It was time for me to open a new chapter in my life."

I nodded at her as she furiously scribbled down my answers. I picked another, right in front about two feet from Fang. He was actually pretty good looking with an air of wealth around him, and I had a feeling that he wasn't for a magazine.

"And what is your question?" I asked maybe a tad bit too flirtatiously.

"I was wondering if the beautiful girl in front of me would like to dance?"

He cocked his head back and gave me a very flirtatious smile, his grey eyes gleaming through tousled brown hair. I found myself more amused than attracted by him. Still, I was flattered, his attention slightly enflating my ego.

"Oh, I'm going to have to deny your request, at least for now. You see, I'm taken for the evening."

I raised my arm to beckon over Warren, who immediately complied, swaggering over next to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and I swear the crowd went wild. I saw Fang nearly fell over and Angel looked like she was choking. It was the best moment of the evening.

"One at a time, please." Warren said jovially.

They didn't pay attention. All I heard were questions like "How long have you two been together?", "Max, what happened to the boy you were with from your group?", and "When did this relationship start?". They were all absurd quesions, the kind you would seen in the teenage tabloids, but it was all part of the act, so I played along.

"No, no, Max and I are not together. We are just really close friends who had lost touch for a while." Warren explained as if it were obvious.

"Yes, it is always good to hear from long lost friends."

"When did you two reconnect?" someone from the back shouted.

"It was very strage coincidence. I ran into him while I was coming home from my trip. He was out on a humanitarian mission in Chile and I happened to run into him. We got to talking and spent another few days in the mountains catching up. It was very peaceful."

I leaned into him as the crowds erupted once more. We smiled and posed for cameras, the flashes nearly blinding me. I felt Warren lean over to my ear, his breath surprisingly cool.

"Very well done Miss Ride." he leaned back up, waving as of nothing had happened. I smirked.

"Last question, any question before the party commences?" Warren asked. "You?"

Warren pointed to a stocky man with strange lips, as if the were too big for his small eyes. Why were all the paparazzi so strange looking?

"Yes, this one is for Max!"

"Alright." I squared my shoulders, ready for whatever he had.

"I'm wondering, what is the story behind your new look? It is quite bold."

"Well, I decided that, in order to seperate myself from the past, I needed to change who I was. I needed a new identity other than 'bird girl' and I needed to find myself. I always thought of gold as royal, as pure, so I decided to really tap into its strength and it sort of took over. I have never felt better."

"Well, thank you all for your questions and I sincerely hope that your curiosities have been satiated. Now, let us go back to the party and don't forget to donate! Enjoy."

Warren dismissed them all and slowly, the crowd scattered back to the gaiety. The orchestra struck up a minor chord and continued on with music. The dancing picked up, and in a matter of moments, the party looked back into full swing with the waiters serving gourmet dishes on silver trays and rushing about and the bar serving drinks by the second to men in black coats. It was the world I had only dreamed of living in, but now that I was a part of it, I didn't much care for it any more. Some of its secrecy, its exclusiveness, had worn away, the shine dulled.

Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turned to see Warren bowing to me, his arm outstretched. He looked so much like a gentleman that it was impossible for him to be more so.

"May I have the honor of this dance?"

He looked up, bright blue eyes sparkling very mischieviously.

"Of course you may." I replied with a wide smile.

I took his hand and he guided me down the remainder of the stairs and onto the dancefloor. I brushed past Fang, his jaw still hanging, but I barely even gave him a passing glance. I had Warren, the man of the hour, leading me to a waltz as the finest and brightest of New York high society fawned and gossiped over my every move. I felt invincible. Everything was going my way, and it was the greatest feeling in the entire world.

**Fang**

I didn't know what I was feeling, if I was feeling anything at all. The rush of emotions that had frozen me in place were still paralyzing me and I thought that I was going to stand there in front of the staircase for forever. Max had brushed past me as if I was a stranger, wearing the most amazing dress, arm in arm with a multi-billionaire, but I didn't even notice. I was still caught up on the fact that she was still alive.

I had thought for weeks that the most important person in my life had disappeared and my life shattered around that loss. Now, she was alive and better than ever, living in the lap of luxury, leaving her friends to mourn her. I didn't for one moment believe that story she spun about being on vacation, nor did I think for one moment that the gold on her body was a mere makeover. No. From what I had witnessed, there were higher powers in charge of that. If Max was the girl in gold, then she had a lot of explaining to do.

I turned around, scanning the dancefloor for her face. I needed to get her alone, talk to her, get a straight answer, but when I saw her, I stopped again.

She was there, right in the center of the dancefloor, smirking up at Warren who was smilling almost evilly back at her. They almost looked like they were scheming, but that idea was far fetched for a snobby rich boy and a heroine. Still, I didn't really now this Max. I really needed to talk to her.

I was about to charge into the dance, my feet propelling me forward, when I was spun around violently by a gloved hand, my arm yanked in the opposite direction. I was immdeiately pulled into a dance, my body automatically moving to the the rhythm. I was only feet away from Max, she who was still pretending not to know me. Her eyes locked on mine for a split second before she flicked them past me to the others. Breaking the gaze, I stared down at my partner, having to take a double take as I took in the lilac colored dress and carmel colored skin of the girl in front of me. Nudge looked just as scared as I did.

She pulled me in closer as the music changed, her eyes fixed in Max's direction. She leaned up to me, whispering feverently in my ear.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" she sounded almost panicked, her breath hot and rushed.

"Yeah...I can't believe..." I couldn't get the words out.

"What are we going to do? What should we do?"

"I don't know..."

"She looks so..."

"I know..."

It was almost as if we were on the same page. We were shocked and happy to see Max, yet we were wary of the stranger she was. It was very unsettling.

"Fang, what if she's changed? She doesn't seem very...Max..."

"I know, and that's what's scaring me."

"Should we go and talk to her?"

"Maybe...but we'd have to get her alone, away from the masses."

"But how?" Nudge was getting worked up again. "She's joined to that guy at the hip! And violence is not the best policy in a room full of snobby rich people."

"Give me a minute, I'll think of something."

We spun across the room for a few more moments, the movement making me dizzy and unfocused. I thought of all the complicated and serious things I had been putting off, the events of the past days, and then something just clicked. The truths of the events finally making sense. Max, the girl in gold, ITEX's worst nightmare, had murdered every single person she put her hands on. She killed her father and her only allies without a second thought. She was a cold hard killer, and I felt like throwing up.

Faces seemed to blur together as all my thoughts rushed into one giant mass. The music became muddled and I felt like the entire room was spinning. I was surrounded by a perfumed haze, as if I were drugged and I felt so utterly helpless.

I let go of Nudge's hands, desperately trying to find Max, to look her in the eyes and plead for her to tell me it wasn't true. I needed my Max back, not the golden monster that taken her place. I was so close, just a few feet away, when something strange about the scene caught my eye.

Max was strangely alone, talking amicably with those around her near the edge of the ballroom. Warren was no where to be found, any traces of his existance gone from her presence. Now was the perfect time to confront her but, just as soon as she was alone, she was whisked back into the crowd. Desperately trying to follow, I kept on her heels until we were near the back of the ball with still no sight of Warren. Just as I was going to grab her, she looked up at me, sincerely aknowledging me for the first time since I had seen her and I stopped dead.

Her eyes bore into mine with an intense ferocity and mischeviousness that told me that she was absolutely up to no good. The wicked smile forming on her perfectly shaped lips spread fully across her face as she turned her head in the opposite direction. I followed her gaze only to find her tracking Dylan. I felt anger rising in my throat until I realized that he was coming towards her at a quickening pace. I looked up to see his head weaving through the crowd coming ever closer to us.

The next few moments happened so fast, as if in a horrifying daze or nightmare. As quick as I saw his face, his oh so sinister, murderous, evil face, I saw Dylan pull out a very small, but very recognizable item from his pant pocket. There was the deafening sound of pops following as he aimed at Max. The rest of the people didn't seem to notice, they carried on as if they couldn't hear the shots. Dylan gleaned at the sound of the bullets firing, but Max remained where she was, completely unharmed by the two small bullets in the palm of her hand, the bodies crushed as if they had run into concrete. She put on another wicked grin and I thought Dylan might've fainted of fright.

"Oh! He has a gun!" Max shouted clearly, perfectly fieghning fear and panic. Her voice resonated over the walls, filling the room and snapping people out of their reveries.

Just as soon as she'd said it, she pulled out her own gun in the midst of sceraming, frantic party guests running amok. Warren was gone and I wondered if he had known this was going to happen, even though I couldn't quite comprehend it myself. I didn't have time to, however, because the next thing I saw was Max taking aim, perfect aim as if she'd been shooting all her life, right at Dylan's head. I saw him run, a final valiant attempt, and then I heard two bangs and he dropped like a stone.

I was greatly disturbed at this, my whole body shaking, and even thought I hated the guy, I pitied him for just a second, his bleeding, unmoving body a sad sight to behold. I felt sick as I looked back at Max, her face unchanged as if killing her former friend, despite the fact he had tried to previously kill her, was nothing, as if it were like squishing a bug under her foot.

Max walked forward to Dylan's body and sneered at it in disgust. He was just another measly bug to her. She whispered something to him that I couldn't pick up and then turned to me, but looked right past me. I turned as well to see Angel looking quite miffed, shocked, and angry all at the same time. She and Max were locked in a power stare and I knew in that moment that things were not as they seemed, but what happened next I will never forget.

Max took a single step forward, raised her gun, and said two words to the small blonde girl.

"You're next."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

It was quite a simple plan really; shoot Dylan and then finish off Angel. The gun, supplied to me through a secret exchange with Warren as he exited the party, was the only weapon I needed to do the job. There was nothing fancy, no smoke and mirrors, no catches or games. No. This was serious, and somehow, I knew Angel could sense that as well. I could tell by the look of absolute indifference on her face, her perfect cover that always made her appear as if she were totally in control when in fact that was the farthest thing from the truth. I knew she was scared of me, scared shitless in fact, as she should be. She had no idea what I was capable of now. I was the biggest wild card in the mix.

Still, through my manic bloodlust, I was still able to keep my composure, my smile cool and collected. I was no stranger to death; it followed me everywhere I went. The bullet I put in between Dylan's eyebrows didn't even make me flinch and I expected Angel's death to taste like sweet victory on my lips. Finally, that little bitch would get what was coming to her.

I took one step closer to the demented seven year old, the gun in my delicate hands held confidently out in front of me. I had never fired a gun before this night and yet it felt as if I had been handling weapons all my life. If I were actually thinking things through, that fact would confuse me, even startled me, but at the moment, I was otherwise preoccupied.

"You're next." I stated as if I hadn't already made my motives known.

Angel just stared blankly at me, trying to read me and see if I would really have the nerve to shoot her, but she tried with no avail. My mind had been completely sealed off, one of my greatest assets since my metamorphosis. To Angel, I was completely invisible.

Sneering at her pathetic attempts to overrun my mind, I cocked the gun back, the barrel setting into place with a click. With one pull of the trigger, Angel would be a lifeless mass. I had taken perfect aim, right between her baby blue eyes; all I needed to do was give the metal tab just a tiny squeeze. Oh, the urge to fire was overwhelming, but for some strange reason, I couldn't fire.

Swallowing back my moment of weakness, I took one more step, ready to fire, but someone stepped in front of me, someone large enough to block my view of the demon I was battling. I looked up, my eyes full of rage, and saw Fang, his dark features overwhelmed with too many emotions to count. This threw me off guard, my mind not used to comprehending Fang's emotions, and it made me feel the most extraordinary sadness. His eyes looked like those of an abandoned puppy, one that had been through love and loss and so much confusion. I felt terribly, but my rage for the creature behind him ached on, drowning out any remaining sorrow in moments.

I struggled against Fang's body weight; I could feel his hands gripping tightly on my arms, pinning me down in place. I easily could've shot him too, that definitely would've made him let me go, but I wasn't that cruel. I nearly hissed at him as he tried to keep me still, trying to avert my attention from the escaping blonde demon.

"Max…Max what are you doing?" Fang asked, exasperated. He was confused, there was no doubt about that, but now was not the time to explain.

"Let me go! Let me go Fang!"

"No! Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Let me go or she'll escape!"

"Max! Listen to me! Tell me what's going on so I can help you."

"Fang, she has to be stopped! Let me go before she escapes! Let me go!"

"Max! Would you calm down? Angel's right here. She's not going anywhere!"

And so she was. I stopped struggling for a few moments and Fang loosened his grip just enough to let me catch a glimpse of Angel. She was smiling wickedly at me, pearly white teeth a glow from under rouged lips, as if she held some secret I wasn't privy to know. She disturbed me, but I could not look away or else I feared she may run away.

Seizing my opportunity, I worked my way out of Fang's grip and shoved him about half way across the room, making my way back to Angel. We were face to face about five feet away from each other just watching ad circling, waiting for one to make a move. I kept my gun at alert, always up and at the ready in case she pounced, but all she did was smile.

Fang got up and tried to run to me, but I threw him back once more, a little harder this time.

"Stay away Fang! This doesn't involve you!"

"Max, are you crazy? I mean what the hell? Why did you shoot Dylan? Why do you want to shoot Angel?"

"Fang, the less you know the better, now **get away**!

"Not until you start giving me answers!"

"Fang," I shouted, aiming the gun at him. "I don't want to shoot you, but if you don't step away right now, you'll leave me no choice!"

He threw his hands up and slowly backed up reluctantly, his eyes never leaving me. I could tell he was hurt by this, but he couldn't possibly understand, at least not right now. I was only trying to protect him.

"Congratulations Max, threatening your own friends. Are you happy now?" Angel asked in a very mocking tone.

"You, shut up." I sneered down at her with nothing but contempt. "You are the worst out of all of us, you traitor."

"What do you mean traitor?" Fang asked, his hands still up by his head. We ignored him, our eyes locked in their own little power play to see who would crack first.

"Oh, but if I'm a traitor, then what does that make you? After all, you were made to-"

"SHUT UP!" I screeched. "That information was in high security files, files that I personally got rid of!"

"Well obviously they weren't so high security if you could get in them…" she retorted.

I snarled and cocked my gun.

"Touchy, touchy…" she taunted as swayed to the side. "Besides, I think you know exactly how I know."

"Trust me, I wish I didn't."

"Pity."

"What you did, what you're doing, is sick. Can't you see that? Or is your mind so warped around their fingers that you can't see straight."

"Oh no dear, what I do, I do of my own accord and no one else's. I call the shots around there." she leaned in closer as if to tell a dark secret, "If anything, they are all wrapped around my finger."

"So that's what this is about, power? You sold your soul for power?"

"See, you're still not getting it, are you? I never made any deals or signed any papers. I did this because I was made to, because I _wanted_ to. You see? I was never your friend, never. Not even in the very beginning. I was your enemy from day one and you all just fell right into my hands, every one of you."

She started to laugh as my stomach twisted into knots. My hatred was growing by the second, and I was wondering why I couldn't pull the trigger and end this miserable being.

Something moved in my peripherals, and I saw Fang move, his hands dropping to his sides. He stared out in disbelief, throwing his body against the wall in order to maintain his balance.

"You see Fang? She's dangerous. She's the enemy; the one's who's been selling us out the entire time. She's evil and she has to be stopped."

"Angel…How could you…?"

"Oh don't give me that crap! You never liked me and to be honest, I never much cared for you either! You and your 'too cool to be a part of society' act. Please! All that did was make you weak! If you would've stayed with Max, maybe you'd be half the challenge you are now, but now, you are just a lifeless, scrawny blob whose mind I can snap like a twig. You have no idea what I could do to you, to any of you! I could destroy you all!"

"Everyone but me. You can't get into my mind." Now it was my turn to smile. "My mind is completely closed to you now that I'm like this."

"That may be, but I have other means of stopping you…"

And she looked away, her eyes focusing on Fang. She placed her finger to her temple and all the sudden, Fang crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain. He was holding his head, screaming that it burned, and I felt absolutely helpless. My anger at Angel flared as his pain escalated.

"You let him go!"

"No." she replied simply and Fang let out a louder cry this time.

His face was streaked with tears, his entire skull a bright red and the vein in his temple bulging out profoundly. He looked as if his head may explode, but right before it looked like it had the chance to, Angel let go. Fang drifted into unconsciousness, and while I was relieved he was fine, the violent emotions I felt towards the blonde child became incomprehensible.

"See Max, your weakness isn't physical pain, it's emotional. When you feel, you get sloppy."

At this, I charged her, my body ready for the kill. I lunged and missed, her tiny frame sidestepping me quite easily. I tried again and again to hit her, tackle her, swipe her, anything, but I missed each time.

"Weak! Emotions make you weak! Come on and fight me like you fought before! Use that so called great power!"

At each word I tried harder and harder to reach her, but she became farther and farther out of reach. I was exhausting myself and I hadn't even hit her once.

"Pathetic. I had no idea what I was so afraid of. The golden monster…yeah right. More like the golden pansy!"

She spat at me and sauntered off, leaving me crumpled on the floor, my chest heaving in order to catch a good breath. I was about to give up, to let her go, when something shiny and metal caught my eye. I grasped at the silver thing, its weight a comfort, and raised my arm to Angel's back.

"Hey, Angel!" I called. "Fight this!"

And with that, I fired the gun, waking Fang up from his stasis and calling the attention of a terrified Nudge from the other room. She had been hiding behind a very large marble pillar and had just now decided to come out, just as the bullet left the barrel.

It soared through the air at the speed of sound, barely giving her enough time to react before Angel shrieked out on pain. I had missed her head and instead lodged the bullet deep within her shoulder. I could see the syrupy blood flowing out from the wound, staining her dress the most vibrant of reds. Her faced formed a scathing scowl, yet she pressed on forward, trying her best to leave.

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted, forcing myself up. "We aren't done here!"

I ran after the fleeing bird child, my feet using their remaining energy to carry me up the large staircase. I was losing Angel, who was running furiously down the labyrinthine halls of the Worthington Estate at a blinding speed, the small droplets of blood my only trail to follow her by. We both ended up in the library, the giant, open area welcoming us in along with the bright glow of the stars. It was nearing dawn, I could feel it, but I had no time to dwell on extraneous facts.

Angel knew she was trapped, her only remaining option of escape being to break down five thousand windows and fight through me, and wounded, she was seriously outmatched. I was ready for her attack when suddenly, she snapped her wings open and flew straight up into the spire, landing roughly on the third floor of the library. Scrambling, she tried to gain composure to run, but I was prepared and fired at her head, missing only slightly, but the shock sent her tumbling down a few stairs, giving me the time to catch up to her.

As soon as I landed, she fled, flying over to the far left staircase on the top floor of the library, I crossed, firing twice at her wings, both missing, but sent her spinning into the bookcases across the way. We both landed, exhausted from the chase, yet neither of us was willing to give up.

"Come on Max…we are allies. We were made for the same purpose, a better purpose than this."

"You don't know anything about me!"

"Oh, but I do Max; I know so much more than you could possibly imagine. Come with me, and you can be powerful. Together, we could do anything!"

"Sorry, I have all the power I need right here." I waved the gun around, purposely firing at the windows.

They shattered with an ear-piercing crash, the shards smashing into smithereens of fine dust. Not wasting any more time, I pounced on Angel, sending us both up and out the window. We skidded onto rougher grass, the grass that grew on the southern cliffs, and rolled across the rocky terrain entangled within each other, both of us trying to tear the other apart. I could hear a snap or two and saw red from all angles, but kept pressing on.

I kicked her off of me, her teeth leaving bloody marks where she had successfully bitten me, and aimed my gun high. I was tired of the chase. It was time for this game to end.

"No more running! No more games! Now it's time you say goodbye!"

She just stood there and stared at me, her eyes a gleam with something much more evil than I was capable of. She was laughing as I failed to pull the trigger, my finger refusing to move. I cried out in frustration as my finger locked up, my failure overcoming me. I discovered I was more human than I thought I was.

No matter how much I hated her, no matter how cruel a person she was, she was still my Angel. She was my Angel, the baby who was swaddled in Jeb's arms, the child who was so innocent and naïve. She was the girl who wanted help buckling her shoes or curling her hair, who wanted a stuffed bear and then brainwashed the President. She was not the demon standing in front of me, and even though I knew that my Angel had never existed, it was still hard to wrap my head around.

I let a tear roll down my cheek, the dams finally breaking. After all the weeks of hatred and plotting and murder and feeling absolutely nothing, all of these emotions came pouring out of me. All of the shame, regret, anger, sadness, betrayal, loss, and love came flowing out of me like a waterfall, but a very controlled waterfall. If Angel had seen me crying, she would've ended me for sure.

But still, there was one question I had to know, one thing I needed to have answered.

"How could you? I really though…I actually…"

I was choking on the words, trying not to break into sobs, but all she did was laugh cruelly.

"Oh please. I never cared about you, and if you cared about me, well then you're a fool Maximum Ride."

I nodded and bit back the tears. I knew she had won this one, the battle tasting salty like tears and sweat rather than sweet, but I had no energy to try and retaliate. I had one chance to stop her, and I blew it. I didn't have the strength to do what needed to be done; I was too human to kill a monster and now the entire human race was going to suffer for my weakness.

"Look, the sunrise." Angel said nonchalantly.

I could feel the sun's warm rays beating down upon me, the power of the day rising by the second. It was the end of the road for me; all that remained was death, a true death, on the other side of those bright golden beams. I felt the sun's power through my skin, my body starting to fade between the light. I sighed, accepting my fate, my defeat, and hoped my allies were up to fight against such a formidable foe in my absence.

"It seems as if you've lost Maximum. You're time is up, and I'm late for an appointment."

She straightened herself out and then winced, spreading her wings out to full sail. She took a few powerful flaps and hovered around for a few more seconds before she left.

"It was a valiant effort, but you were always destined to fail. You can't beat me. You never will." She looked down upon me; I could feel her piercing blue eyes, but I did not look up to meet her gaze. "Goodbye, Maximum."

And with that, she flew off, leaving me alone with the rising sun, the cool breeze gently ruffling my destroyed couture gown. It was torn to shreds at the bottom, the edges muddied and frayed, and the top was soaked in various bloods, most likely a mixture of my own and the others I had claimed that night. For some reason, I was not upset at this ending, just very tired, and very sad. I had been ignoring my emotions the entire time and now they were fighting back in the most forceful of ways.

The sun was nearly upon me, the fading just beginning, and I felt an odd sense of abandonment. I felt as if I was leaving so many people behind like Fang and Nudge, people who really needed my help, and I couldn't stop it. My life, or should I say my death, had been planned since I stepped foot back onto the planet, and the fact that I didn't want to leave surprised me.

Oh, I was so confused. My emotions were delicate, complex things, never easy to decipher and always a piece of work. I knew my emotions were in frenzy, but I also knew that there would be worse pains to come. In my life, there was always a worse scenario that followed the bad one, and I feared what the next trial would bring me.

"Max?"

Startled by the sudden disruption of my thoughts, I turned to see Fang, his darkened figure leaning against the doorframe. He looked calm, his frame standing away at a cautious distance, yet I could see the worry in his face, the pain in his eyes as he looked upon me, as if I were a stranger. I practically was a stranger to him now, but the reality of this truth hit me harder than I expected.

I could tell he wanted answers, and I knew he wouldn't let me go without them even if he had to track me down in hell to do so.

Damn…I hated being right.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

**Fang**

She was right there; she was standing right there, only a few feet away, close enough to see that she was real. I could pick out all of her features, or at least the ones from behind, her body facing out towards the water. Every part of her was the same. She had the same frame, the same hieght, same scent, one that I could never forget. It was like a dream, recieving the one I love back from the dead, like the past few months were only a nightmare to be forgotten with time.

And then she turned around.

She was right there; she was right in front of me yet I did not know who she was. This girl was a stranger with angry, pain-filled eyes that smoldered gold with vengeance. Every part of her looked like it was gold on fire, the color of her hair, the dress she wore, the tinge of her skin, the feathers on her wings. Everything was different. Her body was fuller, her frame more graceful, her scent sickeningly familiar yet so sweet. It was as if I was looking at a monster, one who had murdered my allies and tried to end my friends. It was like I was living in a nightmare, watching the one that I love come back only to transform into something hideously evil.

I witnessed her kill Dylan; I saw her pull the trigger. I saw the bullets lodge themselves into his head, his chest, his heart. It was disturbing to say the least, but what was even more so was watching her go after Angel. Max just started shooting at her for no other reason than that she couldn't be trusted.

I couldn't comprehend what they were talking about before, what they were fighting over. I didn't know why Angel told Max she was a traitor, that she was our enemy. I didn't understand why Angel would try to implode my mind, causing me pain. I figured it was for show, but some voice in the back of my head suggested otherwise, that she was a little too good at playing the villain.

I had to catch my breath when they went through the window; I really thought they were going to fall over the cliff, but they stopped just a few inches short. Max had everything exactly where she wanted, Angel was in her view, but for some reason, after all of those killings, after all the ITEX lives she claimed, she couldn't pull the trigger. Now, I was glad she didn't kill Angel, but I was more confused as to why. After all she had done, why stop at Angel, the person she appeared to want to end the most.

I debated about calling her name, of drawing attention to myself. I feared what she would do. Would she kill me or break down and let me go as she did to Angel. I'd like to think that she had a sudden change of heart, but something told me that there was more to that story than anyone knew about. I swallowed my fear and spoke her name softly, but I knew she would hear it. She always heard it.

So, as Max turned slowly and faced me, there were a million questions I wanted to ask her. I wanted to finally get a straight answer, to understand what the hell was going on, and I swore to get them, even if I had to bring Max back from the afterlife again.

She looked like she was dead already though, her eyes heavy and unfocused, her body slumped over as if she were exhausted. It was as if she was in a resigned state, waiting for what was to come next with solemn acceptance. Over all, her whole demeanor just appeared defeated.

"There was a sunrise like this that morning." she commented, turning back towards the sun. "You know, the day I died. I woke up and there it was, all sparkling and new. I didn't really notice how beautiful it was until now..."

I didn't expect her to say anything, but if she did, that wouldn't have been my first guess. Still, I didn't let that phase me. I was going to get my answers, so I pressed on, gathering the courage to step nearer to her.

"Max...Max..." I called her name out repeatedly, yet she still wouldn't turn around.

"Did you see that sunrise?"

She was still going off on her tangent, so I decided to screw concequences. I went over to her and grabbed her shoulder gently, turning her so she faced me.

"Max look at me."

So she did, her heavy golden eyes lingering on mine. It was like looking into the eyes of a stranger, a particurally troubled stranger who was so unbearably sad.

"Max. Tell me. Tell me what's happeneing. There's so much I don't understand, and I think I deserve some answers after the hell you put me through."

"Fang, I wish I could tell you, but there is so much that I don't even know. Even now I don't know..."

She grew more distant from me, her body leaning away, slipping from my grasp and towards the cliff's edge. It was as if she was drawn to the sun, her whole body pulled to it by some invisible force.

"Max, I mean how are you alive? They told me you were crushed by rocks; the site we found was completely destroyed, the whole mountain side looked as if it had been hollowed out.

"Exploded. It exploded. I exploded. It all went up in flames...I'm still up in flames..."

Her voice was like a whisper, floating along the wind in a trance.

"But obvioulsy that's impossible because you're here; you're alive, right in front of me."

"Oh Fang, I wish I was alive. Being alive was so much simpler than this, whatever this is...or was."

"But you are alive Max! How else could you be here, standing here? I can touch you, see you, hear you..."

"If only it were that simple..."

She was infuriating me. I wasn't sure if she was screwing with me or if she was just so mentally fucked up that she was genuinely confused, because she was making no sense. What was so hard about just giving me a straight answer for once in her life. I guess things were no different now than they were then.

"You put me through hell too you know. Before I died, before Angel killed me, I was begging you to come save me. For some reason, I genuinely believed that you would come back for me, that you would rescue me and take me far away from the world, far away from all our problems." She shook her head, her voice becoming more like her old self. "Stupid, I know, but I really believed it, even after I had died I still believed you'd come for me. I guess in my heart of hearts, I knew you weren't really coming...I just needed someone to believe in."

"Max, what are you talking about?"

Now she was bringing Angel back up again. This was bound to be enlightening.

"Angel trapped me inside a cave and filled it to the brim with explosives. It blew up, and so did I." she said it as if it happened every day, as if it was normal. "You don't have to believe me, but it's the truth."

"And what? I'm just supposed to believe you when you say that a seven year old whom you've lived with your entire life, who's your _friend, _blew you up but didn't kill you?"

"What reason would I have to lie now? She's won." Max sighed and turned around to face me. "And she did kill me Fang. I am dead."

"Then that just brings us back to my original question, how the hell are you still here! If you're dead then how are you here?"

"I've been thinking that I have never been here at all..."

"Oh, here we go again...why can't you just give me a straight answer? What is so difficult for you to say?"

"It's a hollow feeling, knowing your entire life was a lie. To think that you knew the ones you cared about, that you knew about the world you lived in, what you were fighting for, only to discover it's all a lie. To learn that your allies were your enemies and your friends were the people who hated you most, to learn that your real purpose in life was something far more horrifying than you could have ever imagined. Can you imagine that feeling?"

It was another tangent, but something about this one seemed far more serious and terrifyingly important. Max sounded tense and almost angry, but more of an anger towards herself.

"No..."

It was all I could respond with.

"No...I suppose not. Because you have always been Fang, simple, dark Fang. Thankfully you always will be. But me...I'm not even sure what I am,...what I was."

"Max, what do you know? Is this about ITEX? Max if you know something then you have to tell me..."

I tried not to be pushy, but I felt as if I was failing at it. I could tell by the stone-cold glare I recieved

"No. I hope you never know the things I know, the things I wish I never had learned. That kind of information can change a person Fang, break them past the point of no return, break them like me." She stepped towards me in serious urgency. "Promise me that you will never try to find out, that you will never go looking for answers. It's not worth the pain..."

"I promise, but Max, what does this-?"

"And promise me that you will be wary of Angel."

"Max..."

"You don't have to confront her or hate her or shun her, just be wary of her. Please. For your own safety, trust me."

She looked so desperate that I couldn't say no. Besides, I had planned on watching Angel a little more closely after the day's events anyway.

"Good...good." she nodded to herself and stepped back to the cliffside.

The sunrise had grown larger, the sun almost halfway up the horizon. It really was beautiful, all the colors swirling together in vibrant brightness. Actually, it was almost too bright when I thought about it.

"You know, it's a strange feeling dying. It's not one that leaves you easily, the feeling of being here one moment and gone the next." she sounded sad again, resigned as she looked out at the sun. "I suppose I won't feel it again. I was never here to begin with."

"Max?"

"I was never here. It's taken me a while to understand, but now I finally do. I've been on Earth in this sort of pseudo-life, living on an energy that isn't even my own, bearing a power that never was mine. I've been living someone else's life, using up their energy to create this body, wasting all this power trying to save the world, and it was all for nothing. After all of that work and suffering, I fell short at the end. Angel escaped, and by doing that, I have screwed over the entire world. I failed, and now the entire planet is going to suffer for it."

I was dumbstruck, completely confused about every single word that came out of her mouth. She could sense this, I could tell, and I heard her laugh a small, tensed laugh.

"I know it doesn't make sense now, and I am so very sorry. I wish I had the time to tell you everything; I wish I could go back to the real world and act as if nothing happened, as if it were all a dream, but I can't... I don't have the time anymore."

"Max, just step down from the edge and we can talk about everything inside."

I was getting nervous. She was talking like she was going to jump, like she was through living in the world. I still didn't understand what she was saying about being dead, but I was sure we could discuss it somewhere far away from harmful objects.

"Look at the sunrise..." she murmured, so I did. It was nearly all the way up and growing stronger by the moment. "It's nearly up now. Nearly time for me to go."

"Max, come on..."

I extended my hand for her, but she didn't even look my way, her gaze fixed on the sun.

_"Child of gold, child of light_

_Of unholy power, of unequaled might_

_Must end the reign of terror and fight_

_In fourteen days and thriteen nights._

_The fate of life hangs in the balance_

_If the child fails the challenge_

_Either way, the child be gone_

_After thirteenth day, fourteenth dawn."_

It was a haunting verse, and I was getting panicked. Her voice had sounded almost possesed, like she was more than one person, her voice layered deeply. It was creepy really, the words of power riveting through my entire body. It was a scary sensation I never hoped to feel again. I was about to speak, make my fears know, when Max spoke once more, thankfully not possed-ly.

"I had fourteen days to complete my mission, to save the world. This sunrise makes day fourteen."

"And what happens on day fourteen." I asked cautiously.

"I leave."

"You leave? What, you mean you leave our lives, the country, what?"

"I leave this life Fang. I leave the Earth. Forever."

"No."

The answer was immediate, but it took me a while to really process what she was saying. It was like a punch to the gut, to hear her say that she was leaving again after I had just gotten her back. Even if it wasn't really her, the pain of the fact was too much to bear.

"Fang, you don't have a choice. My decision has already been made for me. Look."

She raised her hand to the sun, and I finally understood what she had meant. Her skin was slightly sparkling in the beams of light, her body becoming more and more translucent as the sun rose higher. I wanted to grab her, hold on to her and never let go, but I was afraid that if I did, she might vanish right in front of my eyes.

"How can we stop it? What can we do?"

"We can't do anything. I have to go."

"NO! You can't go, not again!

"Fang, I was never here to begin with. You're not losing me again."

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one who has to troop on, who has to put on a show for the kids so they don't cry during every waking moment!" I shouted.

I raged inside my mind, and out loud, and all of it made perfect sense until I realized that it wasn't going to do one damn bit of difference. No matter what I said, no matter how hard I tried, Max was going to disappear, and I couldn't stop it.

I ran my hands over my face, pulling at it for no reason other than to clear my head, to shut out all my thoughts. Maybe, if I pulled hard enough, Fang would rub away and take all of his pains and memories with him, leaving me to start over, a clean slate. That's what it would take to live without Max. That I had always known.

When I had calmed down enough to speak, I looked at Max who was getting more and more blurry, a golden sheen beginning to envelope her.

"The flock's seen you. They're going to want answers..."

It was all I could think of. What else was there left to say? It wouldn't matter if I got on my hands and knees and begged her, or if I confessed my soul to her. She was still going, and I couldn't stop her.

"You'll come up with something. BS has always been your area of expertice..." her lips pulled up at the corners. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to notice that she was smiling through the tears forming in her eyes.

I chuckled a little, a grim one that was as dry as my throat. "I guess the truth will won't suffice."

"No. You can't tell them the truth."

"Of course not..."

I leaned my head back, letting the blood rush in and out.

"Fang...I really am sorry..."

"Don't worry about me...I'll handle everything here."

Max nodded and looked back at the sun. There as only a few more inches of it left to rise. I assumed we only had moments left, moments that I was sure would feel like lifetimes.

"Fang..." Max called, regaining my attention. "I understand if you hate me. I deserve it."

"I don't hate you Max. Even now, even after all the shit you've done, I don't hate you." I sighed. Even though I was seriously wary, I knew that was the truth. However, there was one more truth yet to tell, one that laid heavy on my chest. Sighing, I let out a long breath, shifting my feet beneath me. "I just don't know you anymore...because the Max in front of me isn't the Max I used to know. You're not the Max I loved."

Max nodded, and as she raised her haevy head, a golden cloud overtook her, wrapping itself around her body. It swirled up from her toes, all the way to the top of her head, bringnig her hair up with it. There as a wind that blew out of no where, lifting her slightly off of the grass to hover in mid air.

I was blinded by the light, stumbling back from the wind, but I could still see what was occuring. As the light surrounded Max, it took the gold with it. The color faded from her hair, she shine left her feathers and her skin, flittering away to join the cloud, returning the girl I used to know.

She was right there; she was floating right there a few feet away from me, her body slowly lifting itself off the ground. She was covered in a golden cloud, but I could make out every one of her faetures. I could pick out every one of her dirty blonde strands of hair and every freckle on her face, every spotted feather on her motley wings. Most of all, I stared deep into her brown eyes, deep brown eyes that I have known my entire life, giving me a look I knew all too well. It was her 'good luck' face, the one she gave when she had to leave, or say goodbye. I was so fixed on those orbs, that I almost missed her right arm move through the cloud and form a gesture I'd seen my entire life. The wave was slow and small, but it held every bit of meaning, just like the smile she gave me through the strengthening gold.

She was vanishing, dissolving almost, into the golden mist. It glowed and sparkled, whisking away the remaining shards of gold left on her, bringing it up far into the sky, past where I could see. When it was all gone, it was as if her body was flickering, her true form almost see-through, colored vaguely by her silhouette. The sun was nearly up, only the tiniest fraction remained, and I closed my eyes and prayed this was all a dream.

In that moment, I wondered if she was scared to go, to be dissolved into light, but if she was, she didn't show it. If anything, she looked relieved, happy that it was almost over, and I intently watched her gossamer lips move to make three faint words I knew all too well, that I had been secretly waiting ages to hear, that I thought I'd never hear again.

_I love you._

Then the final wisps of gold ascended, and she was gone.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

**Fang**

I stayed out on the cliff after she was gone. I didn't know why I was still there or what I was waiting for, but it actually took me a while before my body let me move. The sun had long since risen, the sky the color of burnt orange, and I could hear police sirens in the distance. I figured they'd be coming, but it all seemed too soon, like the time had passed too fast to comprehend what had happened less than an hour ago.

The wind had picked up since she left, as if with her departure the world was a little less warm. Dew formed on the grass beneath my feet, and I was so close to the edge that I felt I was going to slip away. If I happened to fall, I honestly didn't know if I would have the will to save myself. Suicide wasn't the answer to my problems though. My flock, my family, needed me now more than ever; losing another loved one would devastate them.

So, I stepped back from the edge and into the shadows. From that point of view, the day looked brighter than it had in a long while, its warmth spreading out even into the darkest of corners. It was ironic, and maybe just even a tad sadistic that the most beautiful morning in a long time had to happen on the most tragic of days. Maybe if I looked hard enough, I could still see Max in that golden light, I could see her watching over us all. But, I had to face reality. Things like that never happen, especially to me.

There was nothing left for me to wait for outside, if I was even waiting for anything in the first place. Sighing, I turned my back to the sun and walked slowly back into the mansion. I stepped over the shattered window frame, careful not to slice my pants, or more so my leg, and proceeded to walk through the hall until I reached the ballroom.

I halted there for a minute, drinking in the scene. There were police everywhere now, every single one of them quartering off the area and taking photos. They couldn't see me due to my uncanny ability to blend into my surroundings, but I felt like an intruder. I felt guilty.

I watched them tape the area off and escort some of the straggling, drunken party guests out of the room who had failed to flee before. A few were interviewing bystanders and I swore I could hear the news copters humming in the distance. It was a giant show, a spectacle for all to see instead of a private affair. Well, I guess Max always knew how to make a scene.

I laughed a little at that, but my expression faded as soon as I saw what they did next.

A white cloth was draped over a six foot mass on the floor, and the medical team around said mass was struggling to pick it up. As the body was lifted onto a transport, a few drops of remaining blood trickled down onto the carpet below, staining it a dark red. Downy white feathers fell out as well, the muscles that retracted the attached wings no longer working.

I remained stoic as they carted Dylan's body off, indifferent to the scene. Somewhere, the gears in my mind weren't clicking that he was dead, but the police that surrounded the white lines around where he previously laid seemed to make it all the more chaotic to comprehend. I heard the flash of cameras go off and the siren of an ambulance speed away. The murder was definate, the evidence gathered, but there was no culprit to arrest. She had died as well.

It took an hour of waiting, but the police finally finished their investigation for the most part, leaving the mansion slowly but surely. They left their yellow caution tapes and white lines over top of rusty red splotches, and that just made the room all the more empty. Even with all the sunlight and brightness, the mood was dim; the mood was death.

Sighing, I carefully made my way out from my corner and into the center of the room. It was grand, with all of its gold and red velvet curtains, crème colored carpets and oriental rugs and white marble pillars. One would think that gods lived in such a place, but unfortunately, that was not the case. No one died when you were a god.

I stopped at the white tape, the very ominous white tape. The area around in was still wet with blood, still smelled of blood, and it made me physically sick. Even though I didn't much care for Dylan, I couldn't imagine him not being around. Honestly, it made me a little sad, even though he was a total jerk. No one, not even the lowest of scum, deserved to die.

I felt like I couldn't move; I couldn't avert my gaze. I would've stood there all day like an idiot unless I hadn't heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching in my direction. Looking up, I wondered who was allowed to be inside a crime scene, until I saw the face of the owner of those graceful steps.

Warren Worthington walked towards me at a languid pace, running his hands through his messied hair. He looked like he could be related to Angel with his blonde hair and blue eyes, but there was something noble about his features. Obviously there had to be; he was born of money, but today, he looked like a man who had lost it all, like a man who had been through hell. I guess that made two of us, but I couldn't understand why he was so out of it. After all, he had helped Max in her grand scheme. If anything, he was the guilty one, and I wanted to know why he was so willing to risk everything to abet a murder.

He stopped right in front of me, staring me in the eye.

"You must be Fang" he said, his voice smooth even though his expression was frazzled.

"How do you know my name?" I asked, but it was a dumb question.

"Max told me quite a lot about you, all good of course. Never had a bad word to say when it came to you." he laughed a little, a heavy, strained chuckle.

I didn't respond. The conversation seemed forced, awkward, like it was the first conversation that he had no idea what to say.

"She said you were dark, but you really do have the whole Goth thing going on..."

"Jealous?"

I didn't mean to come off sounding pretentious, possibly a tad bit confrontational, but maybe that comment went a little bit too far. It didn't really matter if Max had chosen him over me. However, he just laughed again, this time a little easier.

"No, not in the least, but hey, it works for you..." he trailed off, looking out of the window and to the sky. He sighed at the sight and dropped his hand from his hair. "She's gone, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"And the girl she was after?"

"You mean Angel?" That time I meant to be short. "She got away. Max let her get away."

He nodded and walked past me to get a better view of the sunrise. It almost entranced him like it had Max.

"I knew she wouldn't be able to do it. After everything she had done, I knew she had to stop at some point, even with all that power."

"And you helped her, did you? You let her commit murder?"

He turned to me, his face calm but defensive. "I saved her after one of her attacks on ITEX went wrong. She was literally falling from the sky and I saved her and brought her here to help her."

"If you were trying so hard to help her, then why did you let her try to kill two people tonight? She succeeded in murdering one, at your own party, and you were nowhere to be found." I stepped closer to him, getting angrier by the second.

"There is so much you don't know Fang, so much you can never know about what has been happening for the past few months. Max should've told you that."

I stared him down, my eyes steely.

"And why not?"

"It doesn't matter now. She's gone, and she's probably not coming back."

"Probably? What the hell does that mean?"

"Fang, listen to me." His tone shifted into something deadly serious. "Forget Max, because there is something much more important coming now. If I were you, I'd prepare your flock for war. Now that Angel has escaped, the world is no longer safe."

"You sound just like her..."

"Fang, I'm telling the truth. Angel is evil, evil beyond what you know. Now, you don't have to believe me, but please, just be cautious of her. Max failed to kill her, her mission was compromised, and now no one is safe."

"Alright then, say I believe you. What is Angel planning to do that is so horrid that Max would have the right mind to kill her in cold blood?"

"I don't know the exact details, but Angel will come back, and with deadly weapons. When she returns, expect the worst kind of hell to ensue. And that's putting it lightly."

I didn't respond to him, I just turned towards the shattered window. There was so much insanity screaming in my ears that I couldn't tell the difference between the truth and lies. Was I really to believe Warren and Max? Was Angel really some demonic child who was trying to destroy the world? I mean, she sounded pretty cruel when she was taunting Max earlier, but I thought that was all for show. Oh, I was so confused.

Warren looked around his home and sighed once more.

"This is going to be a pain in the ass to fix...and tell my father about."

I snorted in laughter. This was the most normal thing he had said all conversation.

"You're rich. Can't you just snap your fingers and have it be fixed?"

"I wish, but the world doesn't work like that."

"Apparently..."

I trailed off and we were soon in silence once more. We stared out the window for a good long while, just thinking, until Warren broke the silence, catching me off guard.

"There's no need to worry, you know. It wasn't like that between us."

"What are you talking about?"

"About Max and I. We were never together." he looked down at me, taking in my befuddled expression. "I saw your face during the ball and just now after you came back inside. There's no need to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous." I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to believe that I actually might've been for a good few hours prior. "But what about the ball? The two of you were...?"

"That? Oh, that was all an act. Max was actually a very good actress. She wanted to shake everyone up a bit."

"Well, she definitely succeeded." I sighed, actually letting myself admit emotion. "I was a mess."

"I know. I saw." he laughed a little. "I'm really sorry for that."

I nodded a little in response, my dislike of this man growing a little dimmer.

"She was a great friend." Warren smiled a little towards the sun. "We actually joked that we were brother and sister. We both hated the nicknames, but for some ungodly reason they stuck."

"Why would you two be brother and sister?" I asked, not getting the joke.

"What? Max didn't tell you about me?"

"No...What about you?"

He laughed loudly, like a bunch of things were finally making sense about me.

"Fang, I'm like you. I'm the original avian-human mutant."

I took about ten steps back from him, the statement hitting me like a punch to the gut. There was no possible way that he could be a bird kid. First of all, he was way too old, and second off, my flock and I were the originals. There were no others. We would know if there were. Obviously, he was joking, and not even the funny kind of joking either.

"I don't believe you."

"Well, you should, because I'm the reason you're alive." he said with a spirited voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that my avian DNA is what courses through your veins."

I just stared at him with the most dumbstruck expression, the second one in nearly five minutes. Taking pity on my confusion, Warren explained his statement.

"I was born a mutant, but my avian DNA didn't kick in until I was about seven. My father, the bigot that he was, wanted to 'fix' me, get the mutant out of me, so he took me to every research and genetics lab in the country, including one named ITEX." he paused, letting me absorb the information. "Every lab said that I couldn't be cured, everyone except for ITEX, except that they didn't want to cure me; they wanted to enhance me. My father refused and stormed out, but never asked for my DNA samples back."

"So, you're saying that they grew all of us, Me, Max, Angel, everyone, out of your DNA?"

"No, Max and I speculated that they injected my stolen 2% avian DNA into you all in order to recreate my mutation, except, they made you all stronger, gave you special abilities."

"That may make sense logically, but I still don't believe you. There is no way that's possible."

"You and I have the same nose."

"What?" His statement threw me off.

"Just look; our noses are identical. Well, it's my nose, but when _my_ DNA was injected into you, it gave you some of my other physical traits."

I came closer and stared at his nose in disbelief. Our noses were exactly the same, all the way down to the noble slope and rounded end. It was more regal looking on his face, but it was the same none the less.

"Oh my God..."

"I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise you I am not shitting you."

"I-It's not that I don't believe you, it's that I don't know if I want to." I stuttered, holding my head so it didn't explode. "Is that why both Angel and Gazzy have blonde hair and blue eyes, because of you?"

"It's possible that they may have already had the codes for those traits due to their parentage, but the fact that the traits were selected out of all the others they possessed? That was most likely my DNA."

I nodded, trying to process as fast as I could.

"You're not going to try and kidnap me are you?"

"No. I'm not affiliated with ITEX or any other research facility outside Worthington Labs, and I wish I wasn't affiliated with them."

It took me a minute to compose myself and an extra minute to fully digest what he was saying. In these few hours, my entire life had practically been uprooted and turned upside down. I felt as if during my whole life, I had only known half the truth, and I could really relate to what Max had said only an hour prior. It was the worst feeling in the world, to not know, and I promised myself that my flock would never have to feel it. Even if I had to hide the truth, they would never know this kind of desperation for normalcy.

"So, can I trust you?" I was finally able to manage.

"Fang, even though we may not be the best of friends or even best of acquaintances, you can always trust me. If you ever need anything, I'll be there."

There was something in the way he said it that really made me believe him. I knew that we could never be close, just by the circumstances, but I knew he would help as best he could.

"What do we do now?" I asked, more of a rhetorical question, but part of me really needed guidance at this point. I had no idea what I was going to do or say to my flock, if I was even going to go back to them at all.

"Well, I don't know about you, but it's a beautiful morning to go flying. Care to join me?"

"No..." I actually laughed a little this time. "There are three people outside who need me, now more than ever. I can't just leave them. Not like this."

"I understand." Warren said. He outstretched his hand and I took it, shaking it with silent thanks. "You take care of yourself Fang, you and your family."

"I will." I stated.

And with that, I turned on my heel and walked away, filled with a newfound determination. Out of everything that had happened to me, I came out of it all stronger. I was broken, but I'd heal; I was lost, but I'd have to make do. My flock depended on me now, and I needed to take them home.

I turned, maybe out of curiosity, or maybe out of confirmation, back around to Warren. He was on the cliff's edge just as I had been before, just standing. He shrugged off his jacket, and all of my doubt dissipated as I saw him unfurl the largest set of powder white wings I had ever seen. The span had to be at least eighteen feet across, and near the tips of his feathers, there were silvery streaks which caught the sun at a blinding angle. Honestly, as weird as it may sound, he looked like an angel.

I watched in silence as he dived off the cliff only to reappear in moments, spinning gracefully up into the morning air with impeccable mastery. I was slightly jealous of his skills, but he'd been flying longer than I had most likely. Maybe one day, with lots of practice, I'd get to be as good as him.

Turning back away, I left the mansion as fast as I could, not caring if the police saw me or if I was caught on camera. For some reason, none of them spotted me anyway. It was like in one of those movies where everything was going on in slow-mo around the main character. It felt exactly like that. I felt as if I was walking through a world that was moving slowly around me, and I couldn't hear any of it. I didn't register the sirens or the camera crews, or the distressed shouts of dramatic party guests.

All I saw was my flock, huddled near the edge of the freshly manicured lawn, far away from the insanity. I took a deep breath and moved towards them, ready for round three


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

**Nudge**

When I finally saw Fang saunter out of the Worthington mansion, every fear in my body dissipated. Well, not every fear. I mean, I was beyond relieved that Fang had made it out of the fire alive, but he was burnt far worse than I could've imagined. He looked like a haunted man, like he was trying to run far away from the house, trying to put enough distance between himself and whatever had occurred there. But, he was the least of my worries. When he failed to show up with Max, then I truly wondered what had happened, and his face wasn't giving off good news.

I knew I had seen her; the entire world saw her last night. Hell! She even gave an interview rubbing her existence on our faces! I thought she was trying to pull something with that media stunt of hers, but I honestly thought that when she had her fill, she'd come back to the flock. When I saw Fang come back alone, I guess she decided to move on without us. She was probably moving on with that Warren guy of hers…

However, one clear look at Fang's face told me that a lot more had happened then I'd seen. Obviously a tragedy had struck the family once more.

I leaned over to help Gazzy up; he had been curled up in a ball, crying for the past half an hour. He never cried, but with the stress of the situation, it was a lot to take in. I tapped Iggy on the hand, signaling Fang's return. He straightened himself out, trying to seem composed though he was losing it as well. We all looked like a glorified mess, especially Fang.

When he finally got to us, he stood at a distance and did not speak, his eyes averted into the distance, like he was trying to search for something that wasn't there. The waiting was painfully silent, and painfully cliffhanger-like. I didn't know how much more silence I could take, especially one this foreboding.

It was in this silence that I realized that Dylan and Angel were missing from the group as well. I never noticed what had become of them, so that was where I decided to start.

"Where's Dylan?" I asked.

It was a basic question, but Fang just gave me silence. Not wanting to pry, I decided to try again.

"Where's Angel?"

Again I got silence. Fighting back the growing impatience and anger, I asked once more.

"Where's Max?"

Silence.

That was it. After the hell of the evening I had just gone through, I was going to get some straight answers out of someone!

"Fang! We have been standing here for hours waiting for news about something, about if you were still alive, and no one has given us anything! We have been put through the worst kind of hell and now you just expect us to stand here while you mope around on your silent ass? It's about time someone told us the truth, and it's going to be you."

I stood firm and waited for his response, which wasn't much. He was still standing with his body tilted away from us, but I heard him sigh deeply, as if he was carrying some burden we couldn't see. He honestly looked tired, detached even. It was unsettling, and it only made my nerves jump. He didn't say a word though, and I was through with asking questions.

"Well, if you're not going to say anything then the three of us might as well leave, because we're done with lies."

I turned but was stopped by Fang's hand on my arm, gripping it firmly but gently. Strangely, his hand was warm though the morning was nearly frigid. He turned me towards him and a got a good look at those coal black eyes of his, which were flooded with grief and an apathy that wasn't there before the night. Startled, I turned to face him, ready for the truth.

"They're gone."

"Who's gone?" I asked quietly, my breath hitched.

"All of them."

My eyes widened at this, my mind not comprehending the magnitude of his words.

"Did they leave? Were they arrested? Where did they go? Tell me Fang!"

I was getting panicked, so I started pacing a little. I stopped only to fret in the prolonged silence and to let the boy finish.

"Angel fled after the fight. She's probably long gone by now…"

"Where'd she go?"

"I don't know…"

"And the others?"

"Gone."

"Gone? Gone as in…?

"They're dead Nudge. They're gone."

He said it with such disconnect that if I hadn't been totally wrecked by the news, his reaction would've made my cry tears of pity for him.

"Dylan was shot. The gunfire you heard, that was the gun that shot him."

"Bu-but who?" I managed to get out. I could feel the mascara running in sticky streaks down my cheeks.

"They don't know. The police were doing the autopsy and the evidence was inconclusive."

I nodded between my tears, wiping my face off.

"And…and Max?"

He didn't respond again, his composure turning distant once more.

"Fang! Where's Max?"

"She's dead."

It was a barely a whisper, barely a sound, but it was loud enough to wreck my world all over again. I fell down, sobbing. There was no way this was possible, no way death could strike twice one person. I had to be missing a part of the story.

"But how? She was alive; I saw her! You saw her! We all saw her at the party! There is no way that-!"

"She was never here Nudge. She was never at the party."

"But that doesn't make any sense!"

"I know, but you'll just have to trust me on this one."

I was still crying, and for the first time, I looked to see the reactions of my family, all of which were equally as devastated. Iggy looked stone cold, cradling a sobbing Gazzy in his arms. If we didn't look like messes before, we sure as hell looked like it now.

Fang, however, remained stoic as a monk, not showing any emotion. It was troubling that he could learn of the deaths of two people he knew, one he loved, and still be this calm. It was a disturbing notion to be impassive to death, but I had a feeling that he knew way more about this situation than I did.

"Fang…what aren't you telling us?"

He let out a troubled breath and turned away from me and to the sun whose beams were now far over the treetops. I could've sworn I'd seen a very large bird gracefully twirling away in the distance, but it was most likely the sun playing tricks on my eyes.

"There are certain things, a lot of things that I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both."

I opened my moth to protest, but he stopped me and continued speaking.

"I'm truly sorry, but you are just going to have to trust me at this point."

I glared at him, I even crossed my arms in front of my chest, but I knew that I would get nowhere by arguing with him. I had no choice but to trust him at this point. I didn't like it, but I supposed if it had to be anyone in the world, I'd choose him.

"Alright…" I sighed, throwing my hands down at my sides. "It's just, you can't…throw that kind of information around-"I cut myself off to withhold yet another sob, "-around without giving the whole story."

"I know…but trust me; the whole story doesn't help, not in this case. I don't even have the whole story…."

"Fang, what are we going to do?"

And with that finally admittance of defeat, I ran into his arms and sobbed. I cried and cried until I couldn't produce any more tears, until my eyes were swollen and red. It felt like hours I stood there in his arms, listening to his heart beat out of sequence with my thrashing chest. When I was done crying, I released Fang, but he still held me close, as if he needed someone to hang onto.

"I'm leaving…" he stated as if he was thinking about it for a while.

"What?"

"I have to leave. I can't…I can't stay here…not now."

"But you can't just leave us! We've already lost three flock members! Don't raise it to four."

"Nudge, I have to go. Now that I know what I do, there's something that I have to do."

"You can't just leave me alone here! I don't know the first thing about leading a group or running a family! That was always yours and max's jobs."

"But you do know about survival and how to stay together. And that's what you're going to have to do now, stay together. Now more than ever."

"But-"

"And don't worry. After I'm done, I'll come back. I'll always come back. That's a promise."

"A promise?"

"A promise."

I sighed and shook my head. Just as I was starting to barely catch my footing, the ground was ripped out from under me once again. But, what could I do really? I couldn't stop him from going, and at this point, I didn't know if I even wanted to. After all, he said he'd come back, and a promise was better than nothing at all.

"Fine. Go. But I will keep you to that. If you don't come back within a year, well, then I don't know what I'll think of you anymore."

He nodded and looked away. I reached out to hug him, but the hug was distant this time. It felt like I had already lost him. He reached out to embrace Iggy and then Gazzy, the latter crying uncontrollably, the former barely accepting the gesture.

Then, with the niceties over, he walked past us and beyond, never once looking back. From behind, he looked like a shadow, a footprint to be washed away in the sand. He was a haunted man, a haunted man chasing ghosts. I only prayed he found them before he became one as well.

**Angel**

I was livid. No. I was beyond livid. I was ready to roll the heads of every remaining ITEX member for their bumbling incompetence! I was gone for a few months and now all of my work, all of my planning was shot to hell! Oh, I'd still get hell though, there'd be hell to pay, and this so called director I'd placed in charge was first on my hit list!

I was practically flying down the halls of my top-security underground base, slamming through every set of steel doors, making sure they ran right into the two interns frantically pacing beside me. I had already imploded one of them, and they were scared shitless that they were next. As far as they knew, they were.

I didn't slow down until I reached the Director's office, taking only a moment to compose myself as best I could with a wounded shoulder. I hadn't had it treated yet, the pain excruciating, but the fire in my veins was enough reason for me to keep going. Snatching the door off its hinges, I threw it through the room and heard it shatter across the walls, the screams of a female present. I stormed in and watched him squirm.

"What the hell is going on!"

He literally jumped up out of his chair, his body going rigid, his face flushing. Looking, I saw where the screams had originated, from a young woman who was buried under wood door fragments. She was hurt, nursing a torn leg and a few other deep gashes, but her lips were swollen as well, all red and enflamed. Her hair and clothes were a mess and her body was glistened in sweat. Looking over the man, he looked shameful, his hands discreetly covering his crotch. I was disgusted, not to mention even more infuriated. I went right up to the girl, yanked her up by her hair, and dragged her out of the office through her sobs.

"And don't you ever come back! You're fired!" I screamed after her, a few guards coming to escort the whore out.

"YOU!" I turned on him, my rage ever more so fueled. "This business is not all fun and games and the personnel are not your personal sex toys! You're lucky I don't obliterate you where you sit, you disgusting pig!"

"I…I-" he stumbled, but I was on a rampage.

"I swear to GOD! This place is a disgrace! I leave for a few months to do my part of this plan, and the whole things get shot to hell! I can't leave you buffoons to do anything! The incompetency in this incorporation is appalling!"

"I'm…"

"WELL SPEAK! STOP STUTTERING AND GIVE ME SOME GOD DAMN RESULTS BEFORE I BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

"Yes, ma'am! I do have the, uh, results of the latest drills…they look quite promising…"

He was stuttering as he pulled them from his drawer and handed them to me. I slapped them from his hand and then punched him in the gut as hard as I could muster.

"I don't care about drills! I want our progress on Project Alpha, if we've made any at all!"

The Director was lying on the ground, breathing raggedly as he tried to bear the pain of my fist. I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I had no further use for him. This man was a weakling, a poor choice for a leader on my part. Next time I'd be more careful in choosing my stand-in.

"Guards, get me Johnson!" I shouted at them, a few running to fetch my most trusted inventor. He was the only one I could trust to do things right. "And remove this man from my sight! I never wish to see him again."

Two more came in and dragged him off, his screams echoing across the stainless steel walls. I knew what they would do to him, the same as every other soldier who disobeys orders, the same thing that was going to happen to that slut of a secretary. They would be punished, and the most painful kind at that.

As I sat down and waited for my men to bring me Johnson, I pondered my options at this point in my plan. I was sure that my most trusted advisors did their parts, and as long as the research was not destroyed, the plan could still proceed. It was all a very tedious task for sure, but not impossible and definitely not unreachable. All it would take now was more time…

I heard a knock on the wall behind me, so I turned in my chair to come face to face with a man I had never seen before, an unmasked soldier to be precise.

"Ma'am, I've brought Johnson, along with a few others."

"Bring them in…" I sighed.

I'm sure they were more investors coming to complain; I'd had calls about that all week, but I was surprise to see that it wasn't investors at all. No, theses mystery guests were the suited men I had met with earlier, the ones who owed me very precious data, Johnson trialing close behind, scrutinizing the intruders. Actually, this time, it was only Mr. Black who came to see me, his face covered in a sly smile. Maybe I'd finally be able to receive some good news.

"I'm sorry about the sudden visit ma'am, but we were sure that you wouldn't mind."

"No, of course not. Please, have a seat."

I motioned to the seats in front of the desk I sat at, a smile of delight written on my face. Finally, I would be able to complete my plans faster than I had expected!

"You're wounded?" Mr. Black asked, his voice not hinting any emotion. I just loved how he didn't care. It was a rare quality in people now a days, one I wished there was more of.

"Oh, it's just a scratch."

I waved off my wound even though it stung like hell. I'm sure I was running the risk of infection, but this deal was much more important to me than my health.

"Do you have what I want?"

"Do you have my ten million?"

Again with the curt behavior. Oh, this man was a card, one I regretted not knowing sooner.

"Yes, it's all there." I pointed to a briefcase in one of the guard's hands. "But first, my files."

He sighed and pulled out a small envelope from his coat pocket. I snatched it up, ripping it open at the seams. Everyone in the room stared at the envelope as I carefully tore at the seal, anxious to see what was inside. Ever so slowly, I peered in, and when I saw the contents, I let out the biggest smile I had in a long time.

"Oh, Mr. Black, you are amazing. Really and truly, you have a gift." I flattered him as a resealed the package, holding it between my fingers. He said nothing to the compliments, but I was unsurprised. "And it is completely untraceable?"

"A hundred and one percent. That thing has so much coding that Bill Gates couldn't crack it."

"And you are sure it can be replicated?"

"It's formatted to be compatible with any server or software known to man."

"Wow, Mr. Black, I am impressed." I nodded, turning my chair to face him better. "I just have one last question: how was it that you were able to get this so quickly?"

"I have my ways…"

"Oh really?"

"Well, that and, you made me a very…attractive offer. That did tend to, oh, sway my ways…"

"Ah, so you are a man of material wealth?"

"No, I prefer to think I'm a man who values material wealth." he smiled at me, a crooked one that was more devious than mine, and that was saying something.

"Well, either way, you have one very satisfied customer. The money is yours."

"Thank you. It was a pleasure, as always."

He got up and nodded to me, pushing his chair in as he stood. He moved to get the briefcase from the guard, his fingers gripping the metal handle, lowering the case to his side. He was about to go out to leave, when I stopped him.

"Mr. Black, consider working for me. We could make a great team, you and I, and we've already accomplished so much."

"Sorry, but the only person I work for is myself."

"I understand." I was disappointed. I had so hoped he would work with me. It would be a refreshing change to be around someone other than these buffoons. "Well then, good day Mr. Black."

He nodded to me in return. "And the name's not Black. It's Remy. Remy LeBeau."

And then he left without a word. It was quite a strange way to leave, but I didn't much care at this point. I had what I wanted and nothing else mattered.

"Johnson, take this to the lab immediately." I handed the envelope to the man in wiry glasses, his rough hands gripping the vital package.

"Johnson, we have work to do. Project Alpha is back on schedule."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

**Max**

The afterlife was strange, not at all what I expected it to be. It was warm, but strangely cold, like a tile floor, and smooth like one too…I could actually almost feel it beneath me, but the true surface beneath me was a white void. Actually, the void was all around me, surrounding me. I could feel my body as well, my arms, legs, hands, fingers, toes, all of it functioning at my command. Now, I wasn't religious, but weren't you only supposed to be a little blue ball of soul once you died? At least that's what I thought…

So, I let myself float along the white surface, aimlessly getting nowhere. Again, not being religious, but I swore I was in Purgatory. Mom told me that bad people went to Hell, and good people went to Heaven, but when I asked her where everyone else went, she said Purgatory. She described it as a waiting place where everyone went who wasn't good or bad, and if this was it, then it was going to be a very long wait, and I was not patient.

I wondered what the criteria for getting into Heaven was. Did you have to pray a lot or something?-cuz even though I had never set foot in a church, temple, or whatever, I was sure I could make up a good prayer or two. God may not appreciate it, but it was worth a shot if it got me somewhere!

Just as I closed my eyes to think up something decent, I felt a warm breeze come through the void and settle over me. I wondered if my prayers had worked that fast and I was going somewhere, but it felt more like a shadow had leaned over me. Opening my eyes, I saw nothing at first, but then I saw a faint silhouette overhead, a body appearing faintly in the misty void.

"Maximum…wake up Maximum…"

The voice was soothing and warm, lulling me to sleep. However, it was more familiar than anything, a soprano mixed with the sounds of the ages. It was ancient, but I never pegged God to be a woman…

My eyes rolled back, sleep overtaking me. I tried to stay awake, but the voice cooed me back down to rest.

"Come back to us Maximum…time to wake up."

I couldn't hear the woman's last words for my head had already fallen behind me, following the rest of my body into a deep sleep. As my eyes firmly shut, I saw the world around me explode into gold, and then black. The spots vanished, and I was alone, but I could still feel my body through the darkness and nothingness. Testing my brevity, I opened my eyes and was surprised to see in Technicolor.

My eyes were blurred slightly, not as sharp as they were before, and as I got up, I realized my balance was not as precise as it once was either. I could hear nothing in the space around me except for the silence, something I was not accustomed to. It took me a moment to readjust to my body before realizing where I was, a place gilded in gold with infinite starry skies as ceilings.

There was a reason the voice was familiar, why I knew it but could not place it. It was she, the Goddess of the Stars who had come to me in my dreaming, as she always did. Why it surprised me this go round, I had no clue. I don't know, maybe it was the fact that I was actually supposed to be dead!

She laughed a deep laugh, and I instantly remembered that she could read my thoughts.

"You are dead, Maximum, but you forget that I protect you from true death. As long as your mission lies ahead of you, you shall not leave this life."

Her voice was even smoother in person. The last time I had spoken to her in person, I was so angry that I could barely focus on her words and forgot to listen to their meaning. Now, I needed to listen, for I suspected that she would be giving me more valuable information. I swore I wouldn't waste it this time.

"But, my mission failed. Angel got away."

I hung my head and awaited her fury. However, fury never came, just more loving laughter.

"Come, follow me Maximum."

And so I did, trailing behind the giant woman's robes and starry raven hair, until we reached the corner of the room that she watched most closely. Motioning for me to come closer, she shrank her body to match my height and held out her hand, pointing to the stars behind her. There it was, that the same star of evil, glowing bright red as it had the last time I saw it, rotating on its fat axis. It seemed just as large though for some reason it was slowing down, and looking to my right, I saw that there was another star growing out of the others. It was blue and bright and spinning a little faster, though greatly smaller than the other.

"What does this mean?" I asked, never moving my gaze from the beauty of it all. I never really understood how this whole star thing worked, other than the fact that I now knew that stars weren't really stars at all.

"This, child, means that this pathway, the pathway of Angel's success, is slowing ever slightly, giving way for a new path to be born."

"But how did this happen?"

"You made it happen. Even though you may not have fully defeated her, your actions wounded Angel, giving us a greater time to stop her plans."

"So now that Angel's wounded, we have lots of time to kick her ass? Well, then we should plan something, rest, and retaliate when-"

"Maximum, do not think that just because your small victory granted us time that we have all the time in the world, as you humans say. In fact, though the time is precious and appreciated, it is not a very gracious amount at all."

My face fell at her words. The first good news in a long time was just cut short…go figure.

"Then what should we do?"

"This path, though it is small and vunerable, can still rise to greatness if one makes the decisions to nurture its success." She looked down at me, our eyes connecting as she drove the point into me. "My army cannot fight this war; their duty is to protect this house and myself. However, you, Maximum, are strong and willing to fight. You have led us this far to victory; you have won many battles. Why not win the war as well?"

She made a good point. I was the one who stopped Angel thus far and honestly, I had nothing else to lose by going back and fighting her again. There was nothing more for me to lose or gain. I had no friends or money or loves. My family was probably safer without me. I really had no reason to say no, which was probably why I was so compelled to say yes.

"Alright. I'll fight Angel, and I'll stop her."

She smiled down at me, the pride and happiness visible in her face. I didn't know why I made her so happy, why she cared so much, but she did, so I went with it.

"I am grateful of this Maximum. You are the only one who can finish this…"

"I know, but answer me this. After I kill Angel, after I win, will I die? For real, I mean."

Sighing, her smile faltered a tad, the subject appearing to be a sadder one than the previous.

"You may not remain in the human world, for you know you are not human anymore, but death is not your only option. You can always choose to stay here and serve as one of my heralds, but if death is what you choose, then of course it will be granted to you."

"I thought so…" I sighed. Maybe it was finally time. I'd been riding out life for too long now, and I felt like I no longer belonged in it anyway. I leaned over and sat against a pillar, as tired as ever. I needed rest more than anything in the universe…

"I am sorry Maximum, but if you are to have the best opportunity of saving your world, then you must leave now."

"Of course I do…"

She helped me up and we walked back into the center of the room. It was then I realized we were not alone, that there were others in the room as well, huddled in a circle near the corner. There were a few women dressed in shredded black surrounding one woman who was decked in red from head to toe. They were talking in hushed voices, but it seemed life or death urgent.

"Do not mind them; they are my heralds. They shall not disturb us."

I nodded and stopped when I was in the center standing on the star engraved there. It was a star surrounded by seven others, each one different though the same. I never had an interest in them until now, nor did I have the want to ask about them, but now they were the most interesting things I had ever seen. They seemed as if they meant something, something important and familiar, but I supposed I was just nervous about leaving for my death once more, making things mean something that had no true meaning at all besides decorating the palace floor.

"I am sorry, but I cannot lend you my power on this trip, for it nearly drained all my energy this last time." She apologized, breaking my concentration on the floor. "You may have noticed the return of your human abilities and appearance."

So that was why I was so off balance, why my vision wasn't as perfect as it was before. I was human again, and although my senses were perfect by their standards, I was weak compared to what I was, empty even. For the first time, I missed the golden power. I was so used to it being a part of me that now that it was gone, it was as if I was a different person all together, a stranger in a strange body.

"I didn't notice really…" I lied. There was no arguing for the golden power back at this point. I just wanted it all over with.

"I am sure you will be able to achieve your goals without my power Maximum. After all, you were worthy to bear it, and you are the first to come back alive. You must be very strong and very brave to bear that weight and still stand tall."

I smiled tightly. I sure as hell didn't feel like I was standing tall. In fact, I felt like I was bent into a million different shapes and put back where I was before. But, again, there was no arguing with a goddess. I'd lose every time.

"Are you ready?" she asked with that honey voice.

I nodded, ready for another round of hell mixed with anything else God had in store for me. I had no idea what I would be facing, but I was sure nothing could be worse than what I had already done previously.

"I wish you luck Maximum. Do me proud. Save the planet."

At least that's what I thought she said. All I heard was the whoosh of air, a warm golden air, as it ripped over my skin, whipping it raw, and then nothing.

Nothing but blackness.

Here we go again.

**The Goddess**

I furrowed my brows in worry at her departure. Maximum I knew to be a strange girl, but the resignation on her face was one that I had never seen before and was particularly worrisome of. I had no doubt she would succeed in whatever she chose to do, but I had all the suspicions that she would create a mess of herself as she had done previously. Despite my want to, I couldn't help her now. She was on her own, and she knew that.

Suddenly, the golden doors opened way to my daughter, her fiery hair bouncing in its curls up to my throne where I perched so tensely in thought. However, my darling looked worried for a reason I did not know, unlike her usual happy self. Puzzled, I sat up and welcomed her to my side.

"Mother!" she curtsied to me before stepping up to her seat at my side.

"Mimzy, what brings you here away from your studies?"

"I wished to know of the girl, Maximum. How does she fare? How went her mission?"

"My daughter, her mission, though failed, brought us a glimmer of hope. She goes to stop the evil as we speak."

"So she fared well, even under the influence of your might?"

"Yes, fared well indeed. Though the child is twisted from owning such a power, she could bear it still. However, it was I who removed the burden; my own power was draining to keep with the child."

"Quite strange mother…no human has ever borne such taxing a burden and lived! Who may she be to survive and still thrive?"

"I do not know my darling, but the gold on her skin reminded me of one I long thought gone, though now the possibility seems realer than the others…"

"Who do you suspect, my lady?"

"Do not trouble yourself any longer with this Mimzy, for you are too young to understand its true weight. Go now, to your studies. For you still have years before a goddess title is bestowed upon your gorgeous head."

I smiled at my daughter, whom, though disappointed, was smiling at the compliment. I loved to see her smile; it was my greatest joy. She leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek before curtseying and descending the stairs as gracefully as a lark. She truly was a beauty, my greatest pride and joy.

"I wish you well mother and shall see you in the great hall in three hour's time!"

"I shall await you there, my dear."

And she left, the doors quietly shutting behind her. Sighing, I slumped back down in my throne, the weight of the situation becoming clear in my mind. There was much to work with now, too much of it speculation and the remnants unknown. Anything could happen with this child, this unknown Maximum Ride.

Leaving my throne myself, I made my way back towards the pathways, the stars circling towards either the blue or red orbs. The red path was practically the size of me now, as long as I remained in my human form. The blue path was nearly a tenth that size, but had continued slowly growing, especially now that Maximum had returned to the scene. It was an interesting dynamic to watch really.

Turning, knowing that nothing had changed, I left for the hall when something caught my eye. It was small and had it not been for my godly vision, I never would've seen its origins. For there, right in front of my eyes, two, no four, pathways combined into a small orb about the size of an orange. The path blazed a brilliant gold, letting its delicate, newborn tendrils spin around itself like a sun. It started to twirl, gain an axis even, and another pathway was sucked into the newly formed gravitational pull.

I watched it intently spin, the formation slowly pulling in surrounding pathways. It did not gain any size, but yet the pathways came, not affecting any of the other two orbs in the least. It was as if this certain choice was not to affect the others, at least not yet. Perhaps it came after the others, but one thing was evidently clear; this formation occurred after Maximum's return.

I tried to touch it, but could not, the first occasion on which I could not influence a star. I was so taken aback that panic gripped into my chest and held onto my heart. This was impossible, yet it was happening right in front of my very ancient eyes. This incident confirmed my speculations, though there still remained room for doubt. Very carefully I tracked the motions it made between the other two paths, its spinning free, not structured or routine. This was very odd, very odd indeed…

Gathering my thoughts, I wondered if sending Maximum back was the best idea. It had to be, for she was the only one who could stop the apocalypse, but something unknown would come from this, for that I was sure. One thing was for certain: no one could know about this finding, not until all of the data had been collected. For now, it would remain a secret, but that would not be very difficult.

Not even I knew now what would become of Maximum Ride.


	30. Afterword

Afterword: In Which I Make a Rather Large Apology

A long time ago I wanted to do a sequel, a threequel, and a fourquel to this story. But guess what I don't want to do now that it's been years since I've touched this story and all the ideas following? Right...

I'm sorry to any of you that expected a sequel or anything of the sort. I'm very grateful that some of you liked this story enough to want more, but unfortunately that is not the case. If anyone was interested in said stories never to be made, I'd love to tell you over the messaging system here on FanFiction.

Again, my sincerest apologies. Thank you for your support, and for making it this far. Just knowing that you got to the end makes me smile :)


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